Nine
by myotishia
Summary: During a salvage opperation on a crashed spacecraft, the torchwood crew, find a young girl tangled in the twisted metal .


**File 1 : Karain/Selenik**

It was a quiet night . The lights of Cardiff weren't too far away but far enough that you could no longer hear the commotion of the Saturday nightlife. It was unusually clear and the stars were bright. Something shon in the sky, but it wasn't a star. It moved swiftly through the air, falling, speeding toward the earth. It got closer and closer before crashing into the ground with a deafening crash. Grass and soil flew in every direction carrying pieces of bent and broken metal with it. Unbeknownst to everyone at the time this was no bomb, no meteor, no plane, this was a ship and something stirred inside.

It had been relatively quiet of late and something like this, that would have been mundane a few months back, was exciting. Or at least mildly interesting. By the morning the crash sight was cordoned off. All that was there was a large crater and a heap of broken metal, that would probably fall apart if you pulled out the right piece. A small group of people stood around studying the sight, not police or military, though the untrained eye could be fooled into believing they were part of either. Especially as one of them was wearing an old military style dress coat, though he looked much too young to be the original owner. The group were cautiously starting to dissect the pile of metal. Piece by piece it got smaller. A tedious job with such a degraded piece, that was until it moved.

"what happened?" called Jack, surprised at Owens reaction as he moved back.

"Something moved in there!" He called back.

The metal fell further as whatever was inside moved again. They all stood silently watching, ready to move if the need arose. It moved violently as a hand reached out from the wreck.

A small voice groaned from underneath. A girl lay bleeding underneath the ship. She could hear voices, blurred out voices. When she properly awakened she found her self in a hospital room, cream walls, a small window, not too bad. She lay still trying to collect her thoughts. She couldn't remember anything. She couldn't remember who she was, where she was from, anything.

Elsewhere Jack sat behind his desk talking to a nurse on the phone, checking on the young girl. He smiled when she informed him that the girl had woken up, thanking the nurse he put down the phone and sprung up out of his chair.

"Gwen."

"Yes ?" The dark haired, meek looking woman smiled.

"She's woken up. I need you to find out what she saw."

"What , other than the ton of metal driving her into the ground." Owen smirked. Gwen glared at him, but he simply ignored her and continued what he was doing.

"And Tosh. I want you to go with her."

"What !?" Tosh gasped with a surprised look on her face." why me?"

"You're the least threatening and I don't want Gwen going on her own… Oh and I'm your boss, so you have to." He joked giving her his most charming, toothy, white, grin.

"Fine. But if I'm stuck with too much work after this it's your fault." She grumbles standing and grabbing her coat.

They leave at some speed.

"Because I'm your boss. What kind of reason is that?!" Tosh growled.

"He was only joking, you know Jack." Gwen laughed finding it all a little overly dramatic.

"It's just he gives me all this work and expects me to do this as well"

"If it's any consolation this shouldn't take too long."

After a long bout of bitching about the boys being "lazy" and such they reach the hospital. It's crowded as usual so they can slip in pretty much unnoticed . They finally managed to find the girl's room and bump into her nurse just outside. She smiled politely.

"Are you here to talk to her about the crash? I'm afraid you wont get anything as she cant even remember her own name, let alone anything else ." the nurse said in an apologetic tone. Gwen listened to the woman but Tosh's mind was elsewhere. She swore she'd just seen something move across the room. She stared into the room through the hallway window. The girl sat with her arm outstretched, pointed towards the table at the other side of the room, a glass sat on top of it. The glass began to move upwards then slowly towards the girl.

"Tosh … Tosh … You still there ?" Gwen asked attempting to bring her back from wherever her mind had taken her. The nurse had gone .

"Sorry. What were you saying?" she asked .

"Do you think there's any point in bothering her?"

"Yes."

"I thought you wanted to get back."

"I do but look." Pointing though the window.

Gwen looked over in time to see the girl with the glass hovering a few inches away from her face.

They entered as the girl grabbed the glass out of the air.

"Hello." She said looking over hoping no-one had seen her trick. "The nurse said you'd be coming to see me."

Tosh stands back but Gwen grabs a chair and sits next to the girls bed.

"So … urm .." Gwen stuttered unsure of how to start.

"Nine. You can call me Nine." The girl said looking down at the large black markings on her wrist. They weren't in any human script.

"Ok , Nine. Do you remember anything about the crash?"

"I remember a burning pain in my forehead and… you … you were there when I woke up. You were standing behind the guy in the white overalls." Nine answered looking over at Tosh. There a loud bang rang through the floors below them followed by screams. Nether Tosh nor Gwen were armed as there seemed no need at the time. Gwen pressed the panic button on her phone. It worked even if the phone was off and sent a SOS message back to the hub, a new feature that had been put in place in a bout of severe boredom. A tall figure crashed through the door. It was dressed head to toe in tailored black , with a black hood that placed it's face in the darkest shadow. It raised it's arm and shot a dart into Gwen's neck, she fell as an energy bolt shot through her body. With no where to run and not even a split second to react Tosh fell next.

It wasn't long before the rest of the team skidded to a halt just outside the back entrance of the hospital. They could see more of the hooded figures around . It'd be almost impossible to get in unnoticed . They needed a distraction and no one was going to volunteer. You couldn't blame them. Suddenly , if will alone had caused the beings to see something they ran towards the front of the building.

They entered cautiously and headed up to where Gwen's mobile phone was still sending a signal. A jolt of guilt shot through Jacks mind. This mixed with fear as he heard screaming a floor above. He picked up his pace and skidded to a stop at the doorway of the room where Gwen and Tosh lay unconscious. He ordered Owen and Ianto to continue to the source of the shrieking, letting his heart rule his judgement. There was no time to argue as Owen took the lead. Ianto was a good shot but he was nervous and likely to hesitate. The source of the sound wasn't far. A doctor stood over Nine, who was strapped face down to an operating table, taking spinal fluid. Owen waited until the doctor had removed the needle. If he acted too soon and the doctor jolted the needle he could damage her spine, paralysing her. As soon as he was done Owen kicked the door in .

"Put the needle down and step away!" He shouted pointing the gun directly at the mans heart. He did as he was told. Ianto rushed round and unbound Nine who immediately gripped onto him. Her hold was weak and she was shivering, sobbing into his jacket.

"Behind you !" Ianto shouted as a black figure appeared behind Owen. He span round, pistol whipping the being in the head before turning his attention back to the doctor. The figure hit the floor with a thud and it's hood fell back. It was human. The doctors eyes rolled back in his head and he collapsed. Psychic possession. These people weren't zombified, when they woke up they'd have no idea of what they'd done as their minds were shut off at the time, somehow this made it worse, as anyone without at least basic psychic training could be possessed. Owen holstered his gun as Jack appeared, followed by Gwen and Tosh who were feeling sore, woozy and more than a little angry. They could hear the footsteps of a large gang of hooded beings headed towards them . Gwen had already told Jack about Nine's abilities, that were far beyond what a human could do, and the markings on her skin. He walked past Owen telling him to grab the medical cooler box that sat beside the table after he'd taken Nine out of the room. The blood samples and such would be needed for testing later. He walked over to nine and wrapped his coat around her shoulders.

"Nine?" Jack said softly.

She looked up tears still pouring down her face, stifling sobs as best she could.

"I'm Jack. I'm gonna get you out of here ok, but you're gonna have to trust me." He continued holding her hand. He knew she couldn't run as her leg was in a brace, so he lifted her up into his arms. She held onto him tightly.

"Tosh! Ahead . Ianto , cover me ! Gwen ! You're with Owen! We go right! You go left!" He ordered.

Gwen was about to argue but he was gone before she could. She turned to see Owen close and pick up the cooler box.

"What are you doing?!" She gasped.

"Following orders. Here!" He says handing her the gun. "Don't get me killed."

She hated guns, she could use one but she didn't like them. She followed him out as they ran for the nearest fire exit. Luckily for them there was one at the end of the hallway.

Jack and his group weren't so lucky. They'd found a fire exit but the hooded beings had jammed it shut and they were surrounded. They couldn't just fire their way out, these people were just as much victims as Nine but there seemed to be no choice as the mob got closer and closer. Nine looked up at Jacks fearful expression and knew she had to do something. Her eyes changed colour to an icy blue and the doors burst open, splintering as if a bomb had just gone off where they were standing . They ran out, deciding it was better to ask questions when they were at a safe distance.

"Did you do that ?" Jack asked, slightly out of breath.

Nine shook her head looking frightened.

"It's ok. I'm impressed." He smiled.

She smiled back, relieved. She was exhausted, the pain in her back was numbing out and her head was fuzzy from using her powers. Her eyes were refusing to stay open. She found herself being bundled into the SUV and heard the tires squeal as they sped away.

"So we're just leaving them ?!" Gwen cried in disbelief as they left the hospital behind.

"They aren't interested in anyone but Nine. No one'll get hurt." Jack explained.

"Except us!" Owen growled. "Where am I meant to be going anyway ?!" He continued wondering what to do now they'd outrun the mob.

They were all thinking the same thing as they certainly couldn't go back and they knew practically nothing about the girl dubbed Nine.

"Back to the hub. She can sleep this off in a holding cell." Jack replied. He didn't like the idea of locking her up but there seemed no other option. They spent the rest of the trip in silence, feeling uneasy about the whole situation. Jack left her snuggled in his coat in a lone holding cell, trying to keep her away from the weevils that they kept on the same floor. The creatures became unusually quiet and sat in the corners of their cells like naughty children. He left them and headed back up where everyone stood waiting for him. They all turned to him as he appeared as if he had some magical answer that would cure the problem, well everyone but Tosh who seemed restless and detached, nothing like she'd been that morning.

"We can't do anything until she wakes up." He began hoping someone else had a better idea.

"She won't tell you anything. She has no memory." Tosh mumbled staring at the floor.

"She'll get that back eventually. At least I hope so."

"That may not be such a good thing captain." Ianto piped up.

"Why?"

"Well, she's nice enough now. But what if she was sent down here as part of something bigger. You saw what she could do."

This had crossed Jacks mind but he really didn't want to face it. She was just a kid. "We'll deal with that when we get to it. Until then I need anything we can get from the wreckage and those test results. There's still a chance that she's human." Even he doubted this one but he was trying to be optimistic. This had turned out to be a bad day. He decided that boredom wasn't such a bad thing and it was sure as hell better than locking up a child, human or not. Technically Nine wasn't a child, she was 18 years old but she looked more like a 15 year old. She was only 5ft 2 and her features were childlike. She had light brown/ dark blond hair with a red stripe down the left side of her hair. She'd look like any other teenage girl if it weren't for her odd tattoos that ran up her right arm from her wrist to her elbow, they were written in an alien script that could be mistaken for simple tribal patterns . But this wasn't the most defining feature, though currently covered by bandages and dressings she had three circular scars on her forehead, one on each temple and one between her eyebrows. These were all exactly the same size, about the size of a 10p piece, and they weren't just located on her head. There were two just below her breastbones, one at the base of her ribs on the right side , and a final one in the centre of her spine. There was a ring around her neck where the skin had been rubbed, this was the same for both her wrists and ankles. It was all written on her medical chart that Gwen had slipped into her jacket before they'd left.

After the group had dispersed to attend to their duties Ianto walked over to Jack .

"How do I explain away the situation at the hospital?" He asked.

Jack looked up from his desk "One shooter and a lot of mass hysteria. No one was really hurt so it shouldn't be too bad." He sighed.

"Are you going to be ok?" Ianto asked in hushed tones.

"I'll be fine. This is just all wrong." Jack replied in the same hushed tones looking back down at his desk.

"Why don't you go down and talk to her when she wakes up? It might help."

Jack sighs and shrugs his shoulders. Ianto takes this as a bit of a 'leave me be' sort of sign. He didn't like seeing Jack down like this but couldn't think of what to do to help. Especially as he was feeling the same way. The DNA tests didn't take that long and brought something odd to their attention.

"So …is she human or not?" Jack asked. Hoping this would give him a chance to just let her go.

"Yes and no." Owen replied, a little confused himself.

"What is that meant to mean?"

"She's partially human. The other part I'm not sure what she is but it isn't from this planet."

This made everything harder as hybrids weren't meant to exist, at least not for another hundred years, and brought up many more questions. They didn't just have to think about where she was from now but also when. She was out of her time. It also raised the same question about the being that pursued her . Jack looked round.

"Where's Tosh?" He asked noticing her absence.

"she said she had to fetch something." Owen shrugged.

"A little notice would have been nice."

Just as he said this she wandered back through the door with a bag under her arm.

"Where were you ?" Jack asked, not too happy about her just walking out.

"Nine needed something other than a medical gown to wear." She answered, very matter-of-factly.

"When did you start caring?" Owen asked with a smirk on his face.

"She's a victim. Or did you forget that? She deserves a little respect." Toshiko growled.

"Might be a victim. Might."

"If she was really going to do anything she would have done it by now."

"Because that's how the world works." Owen said sarcastically walking away.

Toshiko glared.

"I know how you feel but we just have to be careful." Jack said, trying to defuse Tosh's anger.

She sighed, still angry " I know. But still. If it had been busier when this started she'd be in a safe house or something by now. Not locked up."

"I'm workin on it." He assured her attempting a smile. "Why don't you go and see her. She wouldn't mind a friendly face."

"ok" she replied looking at the floor.

She made her way down to the cells where Nine was pretending to be asleep.

"Nine?" Tosh said softly.

Nine looked over her shoulder. "Where am I? Why am I locked up?"

"It's just a precaution. Sorry."

Sitting up "I won't hurt anyone… I was afraid that they'd caught me and you guys were… gone." not able to bring her self to say dead.

"Do you know who they were?"

Nine shook her head. "I just know they're bad."

Tosh opened the cell door, which was technically against regulations but she'd stopped caring, and sat next to Nine. "I brought you some clothes. They aren't much but I didn't have time to go shopping." she said handing her the bag.

"thanks… But … urm …security camera ?"

"Oh . I'll cover that up." She says wandering over to the camera and using Jacks coat to cover it . Nine changed into the slip on dress that actually didn't fit too badly. Tosh uncovered the camera again .

"You never told me your name." Nine said as Toshiko re-entered the cell and sat back down.

"Just call me Tosh… I was wondering… Your abilities."

"Yea?"

"Is the telekinesis it or are there more?"

"I can read minds, but I don't like it. I don't like knowing what people think all the time so I block it out… Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"There's something else in here isn't there."

"I'm sorry . Are they bothering you ?"

"Not really. It's just they keep saying they're hungry."

"What do you mean ? They can't talk."

"Not with words, no. They keep shouting into my head."

"We didn't realise you'd be able to hear them."

"What are they?"

"We call them Weevils. They …. Aren't nice."

"I guessed by the death threats."

"They're threatening you !?"

"Not me, no."

"Look Nine. I'll see what I can do about getting her out of here. Do you think you'll be ok until then?" Tosh asked standing up.

"I'll be fine. I have company. And thank Jack for letting me use his coat." Nine smiled. "and remember to lock the door on your way out ."

Tosh left feeling a little better. She told Jack what had been said and he perked up too.

"I was just thinking. Maybe if I kept an eye on her we could let her out?" Tosh asked.

"I want to let her go Tosh but it's just too much of a risk right now. Anyway it's safer for her here"

"I'm here every day."

"So am I. Look if you can get **everyone **to agree to it then I'll consider it."

"You know that isn't going to happen."

"You could try." Jack laughed. Years as a conman meant that he usually got his own way, much to Tosh's dismay. It'd take a lot to convince everyone but she was feeling in a stubborn mood. She gathered everyone and explained.

"No." Ianto answered.

"Not a chance. It's totally irresponsible." Gwen said, crossing her arms.

Tosh looked over at Owen who simply didn't answer .

"Why are you so convinced she's hostile?!" Tosh growled having a small tantrum.

"We aren't. From what I've seen **she** is harmless. It's the thing that's after her that's the problem, because all it'll see you as is either something to possess or something that's standing in it's way. And if that happens you'll die ! Is that reason enough?!" Owen barked.

Toshiko stood silently, he was rite and she really didn't want to admit it.

"Fine. But someone else is telling her that she should get used to being a prisoner!" Tosh shouted before storming off.

After everyone had left for the night Jack wandered down to the cells.

"Feel like a walk?" He asked, unlocking Nine's cell. She looked up , surprised. "Well?" he continued.

"Ok. But I thought that was against the rules." she said walking towards him.

"The rules around here are a bit of a grey area."

"I'm not going to argue." She smiled, rushing out of her cell. She looked over to where the weevil's cell was. "Your pet weevils really don't like you."

"They aren't pets." Jack said , correcting her.

"Then what are they?"

"We keep them here so they don't hurt people."

"Is that why I'm here ?"

"No , of course not. You're here so the people don't hurt you." He smiled trying to comfort her.

As they entered the first floor Nine gasped at the sight of the pterodactyl sniffing at objects on Gwen's desk.

"Th.. That's …" she stuttered

"That's our resident pterodactyl."

"Is it going to eat me ?… Is that why you brought me up here?"

"No and no . You still don't trust me do you ?"

"Well I have been locked up all day."

"Sorry about that."

"I guess there are worse things. At least there was someone to talk to."

"The weevil?"

"They aren't great conversationalists but they're something... This might seem an odd question but…"

"go on ."

"Do you know what I am? I mean if I was like all of you, you wouldn't be so nervous about me."

"Nine . You're at least part human. We don't want to lock you up and as soon as I've finished a few more checks this'll be easier and we won't have to. If I was really worried about you, believe me you wouldn't be up here."

"So what happens if I turn out to be some criminal or something?"

"It depends. If you never get your memory back then it doesn't matter. You can have a fresh start. But you don't look the type anyway."

"There's something you're not telling me."

"We salvaged your ships computer. I've sent it with Tosh and she's going to work on it tonight. We'll know what to do by tomorrow night at the latest."

"So if I am some killer or something, and I do get my memory back. Do I get locked up permanently , or is this a sort of …execution deal?"

Jack didn't want to answer. Either way he knew it'd upset her. "That isn't going to happen."

"Don't make promises you can't keep."

"I never do. I'm sorry for bringin you down."

"It's ok. It's been a bad day anyway. You guys actually talking to me has been the only high point… And the pterodactyl. That was good."

Jacks mobile rang. A text message from Tosh saying simply "_call me" _. This actually made him smile as he usually expected that sort of a text from a date. "Sorry to do this but I've just gotta make a call."

"It's ok . I'll just watch the giant flying dinosaur… There's a sentence you don't hear every day." Nine replied sitting on one of the soft chairs. Jack walked back to his office and dialled the phone.

"Hello." Tosh answered sounding a little upset.

"What's up?"

"I got into the computer and … It's not good."

"How bad is it?"

"Well she hasn't done anything criminal."

"That was a good thing last time I checked."

"Please don't joke Jack. I haven't translated the text yet but... You'll have to see this… I can't…" Tosh whimpered.

"Tosh. Stop . Just send it to me."

"Ok."

"Are you gonna be ok?"

"I'll be fine. I'm just being silly. Letting things get to me."

"Seriously. If you need a friend I.."

"I'm ok. I think I just need some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow." She sighed , hanging up.

Jack opened the e-mail with a video file attached. He was having second thoughts about opening it after hearing the fear in Toshiko's voice. He first checked on Nine then turned the sound off on his computer . Not wanting the girl to hear any of what he had been sent. He opened it and a black window appeared on the screen, he assumed this part was just audio and he's have to listen to it later. After a minute, what looked like high definition security camera footage appeared in the window, he could see nine strapped to a chair. There was a metal collar around her neck and metal shackles around her wrists and ankles, there were also wires attached to her head where her scars were placed. She looked terrified and struggled against her bindings. Suddenly she began to scream and convulse in pain. The end of each wire glowed and blood ran from where they entered her skin. It continued for five minutes before she passed out. Two tall, pail skinned, almost feline looking creatures unbound her and dragged her away. Jack understood why Tosh had been so upset, he was watching it without sound and with some measure of prier warning and he still didn't feel as if he could watch anymore. He skipped to the very end of the hour long video, Nine sat hunched over in a small pod speaking directly to the computer. He'd seen this type of vessel before. It was an escape pod. She'd run away. She'd escaped torture. And they'd kept her locked up all day. He switched his monitor off and sat back, trying to compose himself. He didn't want Nine to know what he'd seen , and certainly didn't want to trigger any of her memories. Nine looked quite cheery watching the pterodactyl investigate the desks and turn up it's nose at most of the items that sat there.

"Hay Nine." Jack called leaning against the doorframe of his office.

"Yea?" she answered, turning and kneeling up on her chair.

"D'you wanna sleep up here tonight instead of in your cell?"

"Yea … Why the change of heart?"

"I know all I need to. And you said you'd trust me, remember?"

"I did… You aren't like the others are you ?"

"how do you mean?"

"I'm not sure. You just seem different… You have this sort of.. Um… glow."

"I don't think anyone's said that about me before." He laughs walking over and sitting next to her.

He put his feet up on the table and began watching the pterodactyl circle overhead.

"So this is all normal for you ?" Nine asked.

"Pretty much."

"But not for everyone else."

"No . Why?"

"Just so I know what to say and what not to say around people. I don't wanna go blowing your cover or whatever. I'm still working on my sayings, it's a hard language."

"So you're just learning English?"

"Yea. The nurse was trying to talk to me so I had to learn it to answer. It was not nice in her head…. I only did that once , I don't usually look around peoples minds." she rambled, trying to keep on his good side.

"It's ok. You've really gotta relax. I'm not gonna let anything happen to you."

"Why?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well I just show up, literally out of the blue, get two of your friends knocked out and put everyone in danger, and you still protect me. I don't understand."

"We all have to take risks if we want to do our jobs. We protect people. And you're a person too."

"You people are strange. You do all this for people you don't even know and you never get any credit but you still do it."

"Every day."

Elsewhere Tosh was finding it impossible to sleep. She lay in bed staring at the ceiling her body tired but her mind unable to rest, partially fearful of what her dreams would be like if she did drop off. It had been quite a while since she'd had a night like this. The last time was after she nearly became a three course meal for a family of cannibals. At least this time she could eat without wanting to throw up, though it was a close thing. She finally decided to just get up, she could read but she usually read from her computer and she didn't want to go near the thing. In fact she had the same problem with most of the things she did on sleepless nights. She decided to get a drink then start translating the text on the piece of metal that they'd salvaged from the pod. It was probably just a simple warning/instruction panel so she didn't have to worry so much. She took it out of her bag and placed it on the table along with a writing pad and a pen. It had been a very long time since she'd tried to translate anything with only a pen, paper, and her own knowledge. Usually she had a library's worth of reference material but that was on the nightmare computer. The script engraved on the surface of the metal looked exactly like the black tattoo on Nine's arm. The lettering looked as if it was made up of claw scratches, shallow and thin at the beginning and end of each stroke, and deep and wide in the centre. She'd hardly made a page of notes before she fell asleep leaning on her hand.

The next morning, as most mornings, Ianto was the first to appear (Well Jack was there already but he never seemed to leave so he didn't count) and nearly had a heart attack seeing Nine, curled up, asleep on the sofa. Jack appeared at the door to his office.

"Good morning." Jack called.

"Morning Captain … Why is she… There?" Ianto asked, not moving.

"Have you had breakfast yet?"

"Pardon? .. No.. but that doesn't explain.."

"We should go and get breakfast. Call the others and tell them to meet us there."

"oh ok . But where…"

"your choice."

"Jack!!" Ianto shouted, wanting a real answer, hoping he hadn't just overstepped his mark.

"Shhhhh!" Jack replied, trying to stop him from waking Nine up. The captain let the cheery persona he'd put on slip, "Look. I'll tell you later. I just need a break right now."

"Sorry sir … Will she be ok on her own?"

Slipping on his coat "She'll be fine… Shall we go?" He smiles and leads Ianto away.

"And when did you turn into Mr confidence?" He smiles trying to put his friend at ease.

"I just hate to see you down like that and not be able to help." Ianto replied, blushing slightly.

"Well being there does something."

He blushes bright red, then clears his throat. "So do I get a preview of what you're going to tell us all or …?"

"You'll have to wait the same as everyone else."

"This is bad isn't it?"

"It depends where you're standing."

"No-one's dead are they?"

"No it's nothing like that.. I hope.. Anyway, I told you you'd have to wait … so there."

Owen had met Gwen outside and were watching Jack and Ianto from across the street.

"They look like they're on a date." Owen laughed.

"They just might be. It seems a shame to disturb them." Gwen added, smiling to herself.

"I thought you liked him."

"They're just so cute together."

"You didn't answer me."

"I'm with Rhys."

"And?"

"Oh don't start with that" Gwen grumbled.

"I think we've been spotted anyway. Come on." said Owen as he spotted Jack waving at them.

Toshiko was on her way. Her neck hurt, her eyes were heavy and she was not looking forward to working. She knew she was late but they'd understand, and if they didn't she'd go home. She was partially on auto pilot so it didn't seem long before she reached her destination. She stood outside for a while enjoying the cool morning air. She jumped as Gwen appeared next to her.

"You look terrible." Gwen said in her best sympathetic tone.

"Oh thanks!" Tosh whined back.

"No. I didn't mean it like …"

"I just didn't sleep."

"Just go home, you can't work in this state."

"I've got too much to do. I'll be fine. I just need coffee. Lots of coffee."

After Gwen lead a very bleary eyed Toshiko to a chair Jack decided to begin.

"Ok. I'm gonna shorten this for everyone's benefit. We don't have to worry about Nine anymore but we do have to worry about the thing that's following her. It's not our usual hack, slash, kill sort of being. It's intelligent and vicious. Our first priority is finding it because we can't do anything until then. And whatever we find we can't tell Nine."

"Can I just ask why. Doesn't she deserve to know, being as it's after her?" Gwen inquired, a little confused.

"I can't let anything trigger her memory."

"What could be so bad that you'd steel her memories?

"I'm not steeling them . I can show you the reason but I was hoping I wouldn't have to." Jack growled. This was a little below the belt as he knew exactly why it was like to have your memory taken from you, he may have only lost two years compared to Nine's eighteen but the principle was the same.

"So what's goin to happen to her until we catch this thing?" Owen asked, breaking an uncomfortable silence.

"Where ever she goes this thing'll find her. I could feel it scanning every mind in the hospital. I'm not sure why but it became weaker the nearer we got to the hub."

"She's staying with us then?" Toshiko said hopefully.

"There's no other option. At least for now." Jack sighed finishing his coffee, waiting to be shouted down.

"This better be because this is literally no other option." Owen growled.

"What have you got against her?" asked Tosh who was desperately trying to stay awake.

"When was the last time something nice came through that rift ?!"

No one had an answer for that and he knew it. "and do you really want something around that can get into your head?"

"Someone."

"What ?"

"She's not something, she's someone."

"Don't make a scene. We don't need the attention." said Ianto, finally contributing something.

Everyone fell silent. It wasn't often that they had whole group arguments but when they did it usually meant bad things to come.

When they got back Jack warned Gwen about the video but she still insisted on looking, he desperately tried to stop her. After three minutes of the first section she'd had enough. She switched the monitor off and had to walk away, her hands over her mouth. Jack was leaning against the wall near by.

"I'm sorry for what I said. I.. " She began.

"Don't worry. You didn't mean it… You'd never guess she was the same person." Jack smiled looking over at Nine who was curled up asleep, with her arms wrapped around a plush frog, a soft smile crossing her face. It was a very toddler like pose.

"Where'd she get the frog?"

"Me. I bought it a year ago because it appealed to my sense of humour."

"You bought a toy frog for your self."

"why not?"

"I guess … When did she fall asleep? It's going on ten now."

"About sixish. She was up most of the night talking, or dancing."

"Dancing?"

"She'd picked up the word and wondered what it was. She's good."

"Don't get too attached to her Jack . She's not going to be here forever… I'm going to go and get some air. Be back in five." Gwen said, leaving.

Jack had never really thought about children or family but spending the night before with Nine had sparked up a fatherly side of him. He knew it'd end up being a bad thing but for now it was nice. It stopped him feeling so goddamn lonely all the time, she was out of her time like him. He spotted Toshiko in the corner of his eye. She was hunched over her desk, her eyes hardly open. He padded over and put his hand on her shoulder. She jolted upright in surprise.

"Go home." He suggested as she wasn't up to much there.

"I can't I've got all this to …." She mumbled.

"Sleep on top of?"

"Did I fall asleep again? Sorry."

"At least take a break. You'll crash eventually and it'll be your luck that you're holding something dangerous."

"but…"

"Take the day off, that's an order."

Toshiko sighed and sat back. "I want to do something."

"Take Nine shopping then."

"Money?"

"credit card."

"but.."

"order."

"Fine!" She sulked. She didn't mind going shopping but she wanted to finish what she was doing first and in her current state that would take at least three hours.

Nine began to stir, probably due to the noise as she was a light sleeper, plus the weevils had started speaking to her. She rolled over and landed flat on her face on the floor.

"Owchy." She whimpered, sitting up. Owen was sniggering in the corner. It was funny to see but everyone else was being polite and didn't want to embarrass her too much. She stood up and dusted herself off, blushing.

"Good morning." Jack smiled, waving her over.

"Hi…. Owchi , hard floor . Very hard floor."

"D'you feel up to a shopping trip?"

"Ok." she nodded, a little surprised about being let out of the building.

Tosh dragged herself up.

"See you in a few hours." Jack smirked, waving them off.

Tosh slouched as she walked, unsure if her knees were going to hold. Nine followed obediently behind, head down as the light was too bright for her.

"sorry. I'm not much company am I?" apologised Tosh who was feeling worse and worse by the minute.

"It's ok . You aren't feeling well."

"I'll be fine. I just need a good nights sleep."

"When we get back you can take a nap . The sofa's comfy." Nine beamed, holding Toshiko's hand.

It made her jump, energy running through her fingers, sending shivers down her spine, making her blush. She didn't feel tired anymore and her heart raced.

"What's wrong?" Nine asked, "You've gone all red. You aren't getting a fever are you?"

"It's just the fresh air." It was as good of an excuse as any. She felt wrong about the feelings she was having for Nine. The girl looked too young and she wasn't even totally human.

"So where first?"

"Shoes. And underwear." Tosh giggled.

They spent three hours and a lot of money buying Nine a complete wardrobe. Though nether of them were sure where it was going to be stored. They met Ianto at the front desk .

"You look better." he remarked.

Tosh was glowing though she did feel like her feet were about to drop off. "Thanks. Any chance of a drink ?"

"Of course. Would you like everything Nine?"

"No thanks. I'm good." Nine smiled, switching the bags she held to her other arm.

"Come on, I really need to sit down." Tosh sighed.

They wandered into the hub and Tosh threw herself down onto one of the soft chairs, enjoying taking the weight off her feet.

Nine could feel a change in the air. It felt like something had happened when she was out. An argument. She was sure. The hostility was still in the air. She could hear someone's thoughts, not the weevils but just as vicious, higher intelligence, close. Looking around she tried to pinpoint where it was coming from. Gwen was flicking through paperwork, not her. Ianto was making coffee and she hadn't felt any hostility from him before. Tosh was only just conscious. Jack was in his office writing something but he seemed happy enough. Owen. He wasn't at his desk. She closed her eyes and tried to block him out.

"Nine? Can you hear me? Nine." Ianto asked . He was crouched in front of her his hands on her shoulders, Tosh and Jack stood behind him looking worried. She realised she was shivering.

"hi" She said, unable to think of anything else to say.

"We thought we'd lost you." Ianto said with a smile.

She smiled back but said nothing. She could still hear Owens mind. He was projecting so much anger towards her it was overloading her own mind. This feeling was somehow familiar and not in a good way. She stood and sprinted out as fast as she could, not looking back. She stopped outside, out of range of the negativity that was being forced upon her. Oddly it was Ianto that had followed her out.

"I didn't say anything to offend you did I?" He asked apologetically.

"N.. No . Not you . I'm sorry for running off."

"What happened."

"I'm psychic."

"I don't understand."

"Owen really doesn't like me. He doesn't want me there."

"He's like that with most people. Don't let it get to you."

"But why? What have I done?"

"I don't know. Maybe he still thinks you're a threat. Maybe he doesn't like that he can't understand you like most things in his life."

"Or maybe it's coz of what I am."

"That is a possibility… If it helps he doesn't really like me either."

"I should go. You all argue because of me. If you all stop being friends you won't be able to work. I can't be the cause of that."

"Don't worry. We've survived worse"

Back inside Jack was ripping into Owen as he'd worked out what was going on.

"What's the problem!! She's just a kid!!" Jack growled.

"She's a sodding alien!!" Owen barked back.

"AND?!"

"She ain't all sweet and nice !! She's probably fucked with your mind so you don't lock her up !!"

"She hasn't done anything!! And she's half human!! Just because she's not from here and has abilities she CAN'T CONTROLL means she must be evil, right?!!"

"She's got you wrapped around her little finger and that's gonna get us all killed!! Or worse !! I'm not bein someone's fuckin puppet !!"

"I'm not gonna let that happen Owen! And you're stronger than this thing. It's not as strong as everyone thinks."

"How do you know ?!"

"It tried to control me back at the hospital. It just tries to scare you into giving up. It's not that smart. That's why it wants Nine. She has real power. Think about what could happen if it catches her."

"Why do you keep this sort of thing from us?!"

"You never gave me the chance to tell you. And I can't talk about this when Nine's here."

"Just don't start putting her before us."

It was at this point that Ianto walked back in, out of breath.

"What happened ? Where's Nine?" asked Jack, disturbed by her absence.

"She ran off sir. I couldn't catch her." Ianto panted.

Nine had decided they were better off without her . She was halfway down the high street when she heard screaming. She dodged a very frightened looking woman who didn't seem to even register Nine's existence and saw a very large weevil standing at the end of an ally. There weren't too many people around so she didn't need to worry about them so much but this thing wanted blood.

"What do you want ?" She asked , projecting the message into its mind, attempting to stall it.

"Hungry … kill …" It replied in kind.

"You can't do that here"

"out way … kill!"

It charged at her swiping her across the face. She was thrown into the wall, the taste of blood filling her mouth.

She sent out a wide range psychic suggestion of "You do not want to be here". This gave her an advantage as no one was around to get hurt. Pulling herself up she followed the creature out into the open.

"Hay ugly! There's no food around here"

It turned on her and growled then charged. She managed to dodge it's attack s well but she knew she couldn't do it forever. It was getting frustrated with her and began to get more and more vicious. It caught her across the head again slamming her into the pavement . It moved in for the kill but she telekinetically held it off. She slowly got to her feet, still pushing the creature away . She heard a large vehicle pull up but couldn't turn to see for fear of losing her concentration. With a final surge of adrenaline Nine let the shield she had created go , the weevil moved down towards her baring its teeth , she span and slammed her fist into the side of it's skull that hit the pavement soon after. She lay gasping and coughing on the blood that kept trying to slip down her airway.

She looked up to see Owen with a look that consisted of half shock and half admiration. Well she had punched out a mature, enraged weevil.

"My face hurts." She stated as if it weren't obvious. Though it did raise a smile out of Owen which she felt was some sort of achievement . She could hear that Jack was in serious mode and she sort of saw the weevil being moved away out of the corner of a bleary eye.

"And that's what you get for running off." Owen said with an audible smirk.

All she could think was "I'm gonna kick you in the shins you smarmy bastard". She didn't go through with it but the will was there. She sat up and wiped some of the blood away from her eye.

"With an IQ like yours how do you still manage to look like the dumb muscle of the group?" She said, in a vengeful sort of mood.

"I'm not the one who just punched out a weevil." He replied dryly.

"I bet you were brilliant at school. School bully and power nerd."

"How are you not dead yet? "

"I'm sticking around just to piss you off. And of course to take over the world."

"Don't start that"

"Why. Just because it makes you nervous? Big tough guy frightened by a little girl."

Tosh and Ianto were overseeing this little argument.

"I think this is as close as those two get to friendly banter." said Ianto, attempting to understand what was going on without much luck.

"Ok people. I'd like to get back before our ugly friend wakes up, if possible." Jack called .

Owen helped Nine up reluctantly.

"I'll walk back." Nine grunted, hoping to wander off without a confrontation.

"Not with that head injury you're not!" Growled Owen , grabbing her by the arm and practically dragging her forward.

"Why do you care?!"

"I don't."

"I'm not afraid of you , you know!"

"Never said you were."

"The only reason the weevils fear you is coz you're just a big beacon of hatred! Do everyone a favour and vent once in a while."

"Just get in the damn van."

This arguing continued all the way back to the hub and everyone was starting to get a little irritated. He stitched up the gash that had opened under the bandages on Nine's head when she'd hit the wall and the pavement. She didn't know where she'd got the courage or rage to tackle the weevil , or Owen for that matter. It had gone and she didn't actually want it back. Owen seemed a little more placid too, she couldn't hear his thoughts anymore.

"You are on our side, right?" He asked taking off his gloves.

"Of course"

"Whatever happens. However bad."

"yea."

"If you turn on us I'll kill you."

"I know. But you won't have to."

"I've believed that about people before and been proven wrong."

"I can't turn on you. There's nothing to turn on you with. I'm alone here. You guys are all I have."

She was gone before Owen turned around. He still didn't like her but as long as she wasn't a danger he could handle her hanging around.

That night Tosh had stayed late to have a "girly night" with Nine though Jack had been trying to get rid of them. Tosh was sitting behind Nine plating her hair, Jack was trying to look busy and Ianto was archiving.

"I said she could stay at your place tonight." Jack said walking past the girls.

"It's safer here. You said that yourself." Tosh replied not turning.

"It's just one night."

"you know why he wants us gone don't you?" Nine smiled in a mischievous sort of way.

"I never said that."

"Just hang a sock on the door. That **is** the custom isn't it?"

"Nine!!" shouted Tosh in shock.

"What? Correct me if I'm wrong but. Mmmmmphh" Nine continued in muffled tones as Tosh silenced her with her hand clamped around the girl's mouth.

"You can't say things like that." She said, pulling her hand away.

"Why?"

"You just can't."

"Strange… What's so funny?" Nine asked seeing Jack laughing.

"Oh Tosh , you gotta relax." He grinned.

"Me?!"

"You worry too much." He laughed, bounding out of the room like schoolboy that just found out a secret that would make him king for a day.

He scooted down to the archives where Ianto was still filing papers away.

"Hello sir . Are they still …"

"Yep."

"But you're smiling."

"Yes I am." Jack said slipping his arms around Ianto's waist and holding him tightly.

"We can't do anything with them upstairs."

"There's nothing wrong with just a hug, is there?"

"No, but …"

"Shhhhhhh." He whispered to Ianto as he rested his head on the suited mans shoulder. "You should probably go home and get some sleep" He sighed, releasing his firm hold.

Ianto turned and kissed Jack gently . He moved back staring deep into Jacks eyes.

"Goodnight sir." He said as he left.

It wasn't often that Captain Jack was left speechless but this was one of those times. Ianto never usually initiated the kiss and it left Jacks head spinning. He leant back against a wall and took a deep breath. He eventually decided to go back up and see how the girls were doing .

They were sitting sharing a bowl of ice cream.

"What did you say to him ?" Nine asked, swallowing a mouthful of triple chocolate chip.

" Huh?" Jack murmured, still not quite back in the real world.

"Well I know you didn't have enough time to do anything and Ianto walked out of here grinning like the Cheshire cat."

"Oh nothing." he replied in an 'I did do something but I'm never going to tell you ' sort of way.

"Come on. You usually never shut up when you're crushing ." Toshiko giggled on a bit of a sugar high.

"Oooh . I don't think it's just a cruuuuuush." Nine sung, laughing.

"Have a good evening ladies, don't stay up too late. I'll be in my office if you need me." Jack said unable to stop smiling but wanting to stay out of the conversation.

"Oh now he's just bein a wimp."

"Oooh . Have you seen the internet yet?" Tosh asked

"In-ter-net?"

"Yea."

"I've heard a little about it but the mind I learned speech from didn't have a computer."

"Come on. I'll show you." Tosh beamed, hopping up and leading Nine over to the computer.

"This is what a lot of sugar does to you?"

"This is the internet." she smiles typing a web address out on the keyboard.

"Information… like a giant mind, that everyone can see."

"You could say that. But remember most of it's opinion… Now here's what I wanted to show you. Computer games."

"oooh." Nine giggled at what she saw as pretty pictures and flashy lights.

After two hours and a lot of new high scores Nine decided she liked these computer games. Though she did notice that Toshiko had become distracted and not as happy as she'd been. She kept looking at something on the desk. A piece of metal.

"What's that?" she asked.

"Nothing. I should tidy up." Tosh said leaning on the desk in between Nine and the scrap piece of the pod.

"Aww come on. What is it?… Is it dangerous?"

"I don't know yet."

"but you're sitting on it … Come on what is it?" Nine inquired, dancing around Tosh before grabbing the metal and jumping back into the computer chair. She looked at the script on the surface "Why have you got a piece of instruction panel?"

"I was trying to translate it."

"That's gonna be difficult. Most of this language is empathic."

"How can a language be empathic when it's written down?"

"You see these two words have the same lettering?" she smiled pointing at two parts of the text. "One means warning because there's a negative feeling attached but this one means quickly because it has a feeling of urgency."

"Oh. I haven't ever encountered a language like this before."

"It's very inefficient though. It all has to be hand written."

"That would be a problem…" Tosh began to realise that if she questioned her much more she could trigger her memory. She looked for an excuse to change the subject. The time. "It's midnight ! I have to go."

"Aww ok. I should get some sleep too I guess."

"I'm sorry. I'll see you tomorrow morning." Tosh apologised, collecting her things. She was about to rush off when Nine grabbed her wrist.

"Wait. It's not safe this late on your own… Here." Nine exclaimed. She took off her necklace and handed it to Tosh. "For protection."

She looked at the silver pendent, it had a symbol engraved onto it's surface that wasn't as neat as the writing on the pod wreckage but it was a familiar shape. She slipped it on and felt no change but Nine looked up at her with hope in her eyes.

"Thanks." She said, giving Nine a quick hug before leaving.

Down in Jacks room he was laying on his bed thinking. His love life had never been that complicated , a little unorthodox yes but never complicated. And it wasn't as if he didn't like this new situation, he was quite enjoying it in fact, but he felt as if it was going to end in heartbreak. Did he really want that? Did he want to run away just because of something that could possibly happen? He wasn't going to start being a coward was he? He suddenly started to feel very cold and lonely. His room looked so empty. He closed his eyes trying to block it out wishing he could sleep like the rest of the human race and wondering just how he had managed to drop so far from the good mood he'd been in.

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It had been over a month since the crash and Nine was practically becoming part of the team though she hadn't been allowed out, at lest no further than the shops. She'd become the food delivery girl more than anything else but still helped when they picked up a piece of technology she recognised. It was Halloween and Ianto had been tricked into wearing a wizards hat which wouldn't have been so funny if it weren't for the fact that he was wearing his usual perfectly presented suit with it, and looked just as serious as he did every other day. He'd gone on coffee strike as every time he walked in Gwen split her sides laughing. She'd honestly tried not to but she just couldn't help herself. Jack was spending his day throwing paper aeroplanes at anyone he could aim at. Gwen had been throwing them back , as had Owen who was in one of his very rare playful moods, but Tosh was simply dodging them, consequentially becoming his main target. Nine was sitting on the walkway above, effectively out of range, with her plush frog on her head.

"So what's with this Halloween thing?" Nine asked as she still didn't understand human festivals.

"Everyone dresses up as monsters and demons and goes door to door collecting candy." Jack answered.

"But why?"

"It's fun."

"Ok … Doesn't it kind of mess with you guys? I mean there's gonna be monsters everywhere. Is this like your busiest night of the year."

"No tonight's our quietest. Tomorrow's the bitch." Owen smiled leaning back in his chair.

"Huh?"

"Well nothing's out of the ordinary tonight including hearing growling and screaming and seeing lights in the sky . But tomorrow when the costumes come off and they find a few people torn apart, we get called in. Even if we find out there's nothing strange involved." Gwen piped up from the other side of the room.

"Well that sucks. You guys never catch a break ." Nine said, jumping down from the walkway. Everyone looked away as she did this as most people would break their legs, or worse. She just landed like she'd jumped off a low wall. They just couldn't get used to it. Nine disappeared off to keep Ianto company.

"So being as it's going to be quiet tonight, fancy going for a drink after work?" Gwen asked everyone.

"I've got nothing better to do." Owen smiled.

"Same here." said Jack folding another paper aeroplane.

"Tosh?" Gwen called as Tosh hadn't lifted her gaze from her work.

"Huh?" She replied looking around.

"Drink later."

"Sure."

"What's got you so distracted?"

Tosh sat back and put down her pen. " How do you make a written language emanate emotion?"

Confused looks ran around the room.

"Why?" Gwen quizzed.

"Well without knowing that this is untranslatable."

"What is ?" Jack said, hopping up and wandering over to her desk.

"The warning panel from the pod."

"you're obsessing."

"I'm not . I just want…"

"You know what happens when people start obsessing. I confiscate their desk." Jack smiled grabbing the back of Toshiko's computer chair and pushing her away from the desk. He was masking deeper worries he had. He looked out for these signs of obsession more now, he didn't want what happened to Susie to happen again. He wasn't losing another friend that way.

Out front Nine was sitting on the desk swinging her legs, like a board five year old, talking to Ianto who was tidying obsessively.

"You shouldn't listen to them. I think it's kinda cute."

"That's because it was you're idea."

"Well no one else was getting into the spirit. Anyway, you look the wizard type."

"I do?"

"Yea. You're smart and logical, but brave and strong too."

Ianto didn't quite know how to reply to Nine's compliments. He didn't really have high self esteem so he was unaccustomed to thinking of himself in that way. Nine giggled.

"Hay . Shall I see if I can tell your future?" She asked, distracted.

"Ok . . . How ?"

"I just need some playing cards… Back in a sec." She smiled hopping down off the desk and disappearing into the back.

"Has anyone got any playing cards?" She called.

"Sure." Said Jack , "Why ?" He asked as he disappeared into his office.

"I'm playing fortune teller."

"Ah I see… Catch." He said , throwing the deck of cards to her.

"Thanks." She replied, rushing off.

"How do you predict someone's future with playing cards?" Owen asked dryly, the eternal sceptic.

"The same way you use tarot cards." Gwen explained.

He gave her his best sceptical look.

"Oh come on. Didn't you ever get into the occult thing when you were a teenager?"

"No coz it's a load of crap."

"You work here and you still think that?"

"Give me some proof and I'll believe but until then …"

"You have no imagination." Gwen sighed.

In the other room nine had laid out five cards on the desk in front of her.

"Ok so these two are your past and these three are your future. Which do you want first?" Nine asked splitting the groups of cards apart.

"Past I guess."

"Ok … hmm. I see success and happiness but … It's disrupted… Ok confusing. I see rage. A lot of rage.. Wow.. Everything's sort of cloudy but there's a small amount of hope."

Ianto just nodded. She was right so far.

"Now future …. Aww."

"What?" he asked, wondering why she was smiling.

" This is good … I see happiness and love … But life wont be too easy before you relax too much… Be cautious… Go straight home tonight."

"Why?"

"Big negative … very bad something… it isn't very clear but it's definitely bad… fire … Lots of fire… Promise me you'll just go home tonight."

"I promise."

She calmed a little at this. Luckily he didn't really want to go out anyway but wondered about the others. He was about to ask her about it but he could see that she was thinking the same thing. If he didn't know she was psychic anyway he would have never believed her but there was a chance that this wasn't just guess work.

She scooted back into the hub looking as white as a sheet.

"I need a volunteer." she said in a panicked sort of way .

"Ok" Gwen smiled wondering what had gotten her so upset.

Nine set the cards out on the table. "Same thing … flames … smoke … a gas leak … In town… big explosion."

"Where exactly ?" jack asked . He knew of other parts of Torchwood that had psychics working for them.

Nine's eyes turned icy blue "There's so much smoke … I can only make out shapes… A window … There's a JCB across the street."

"I know that place." said Owen grabbing his phone. He dialled and waited. "Hello?.. Yea . We've had a few reports that people can smell gas… Yes … I can wait …." He drums his fingers on the desk as he waits . "… Yea . Good. Thank you ." He hangs up. Before looking over at Nine, "There was a broken gas line under the bar … Read my future."

"You really want me to after this?"

"If you get a different reading it means we don't die."

"ok." She said. She set out the cards and breathed a sigh of relief "No smoke but I suggest you cut down on your drinking otherwise in three years your liver's gonna give out."

"Do you like giving bad news are something?"

"I can't choose what I see."

"How about we go out tomorrow night. I'm feeling a little …" Gwen said, not feeling too well.

"I agree." Tosh waved from where she'd been placed.

Owen shrugged, not caring that much either way. He'd probably need it after the influx of bodies they always got post-Halloween.

"Why don't you all go home early today . I can always call you if anything comes up though I doubt anything will." Jack smiled his 'don't question me, I'm being nice about this' smile that anyone who didn't know it would swear he was flirting.

Owen jumped up "Later." he said before heading out. No-one could blame him for taking the opportunity as he'd be practically swimming in corpses the next day. He'd need the sleep. Gwen and Tosh left together after saying their goodbyes.

"So what's with getting everyone to go?" Nine asked.

"I want you to do a reading for me. Simple past present future set up." Jack said in soft but serious tones.

"Ok. Can I ask why?"

"I want to find out something and if it's important enough it should show up."

"Fare enough.. Where shall I start?"

"Future."

She thought this odd but did as she was asked and set out the cards . "I guessed as much … I see happiness and love but you'll still have work to deal with." She giggled . He seemed to relax. "Your present … confusion … sadness… A mix of highs and lows but … nothing in between … I see hope . It's broken and splintered but it's there… And past .. Are you sure you want me to see this . You're very secretive about it usually."

"Go on . It's ok."

"Well if you're sure… I see … such odd creatures … metal shelled … A girl … Rose … So powerful .. So bright… She … she … What did she do to you Jack?"

He didn't answer her.

"… Loneliness… so alone .. For so long … pain … Heartbreak … Doctor … so alone." She finally stopped , her heart in her throat. "Jack?"

He sat silently with tears rolling down his cheeks. He stood and walked off into his office.

"What did I say?" She whimpered thinking she'd done something terrible.

She left him for five minutes before walking over to the hatch that his room hid behind and knocked softly. No answer. She opened it and wafted down.

"Jack? Did I do something wrong? I'm sorry." she whimpered, staring into the deep shadows where Jack sat , head in hands.

"No … You didn't." he breathed , unable to hold back his sadness.

"I knew I shouldn't have said anything."

Beckoning her over to sit next to him he wiped his eyes "I asked you to."

She sat down and put her arm around him "But now you're upset."

"It's ok."

"so .. So who is Rose."

"She was a friend. She saved the world from the scourge of the universe and …"

"She gave you eternity and left… Did you see her again after it?"

He shook his head. "She's with her family now… Far away… And I'll never see her again." he sobbed.

"But that's not the most painful thing is it?… It's the other one I saw."

"He just calls himself the doctor… He's … brilliant, but…"

"He left you alone and you …"

Jack nods and wipes his eyes again. "All this was for him … All of it… but … It wasn't enough."

"You have to move on . You aren't alone anymore. You've got Ianto who'd give his life for you . And the others aren't going anywhere … And there's me."

He leant on her shoulder.

"This pain won't last forever Jack. I promise."

The next day Nine stayed out of everyone's way. With all the stress and negative energy she knew she'd end up getting something thrown at her head. Luckily everyone was out most of the day so it wasn't too hard. She say on the edge of the upper walkway with a writing pad and a pen attempting to write a diary. She could read very well but she had trouble with writing, she knew the shapes of each letter but they just didn't transfer onto the page properly. But she tried and that was something. After writing about the night before she ended up writing about her fluffy pink socks and such.

"I hope you aren't board all on your own up here." Ianto said, appearing behind her. She jumped as she hadn't heard him walk up behind her.

"Oh. Hi . I'm ok . I thought you'd be busy."

"I'm … taking a break."

"you're avoiding work you mean."

"… Yes but... I was just wondering… Is Jack ok?"

"He was just feeling a little fragile. He's ok now I guess. "

"Are you sure? He was unusually quiet this morning."

"Does Jack ever talk about his past?"

"Not really, no… I've asked once or twice but he gets evasive."

"Oh."

"Why? Is there something …"

"I don't know if I can say. I think he just needs a little time off and a warm hug." She smiled, giggling slightly.

It was at this moment that Jack, Gwen and Tosh entered looking tired.

"Not slacking off are we Ianto?" Jack called up.

"No .. Sorry sir." Ianto stuttered before rushing off.

"Relax! I was kidding ." Jack laughed but it was too late.

"Another false alarm?" Nine asked Jumping down.

"Yep… Though I could have done without the popping." Gwen groaned.

"Huh?"

"Bloated bodies burst easily. It's not pleasant" Jack explained.

"ick."

"I'm never eating again." Tosh whimpered.

"Hay! You kept your lunch." Gwen whined loosening her collar.

"At least it's been relatively quiet this year"

"Don't jinx it. Not after that."

"Just be glad we didn't have to bring it back."

Owen appears from his lab and stomps past them "Why do all the sick bastards come out of the woodwork on Halloween?! I mean I can understand the stabbings and shootings but why the need to gut a person!?"

"Thank you so much. I never liked food anyway" Gwen groaned, her hand over her mouth.

"After all this time you still haven't got the stomach for the job."

"Well, not all of us routinely cut people open."

"Oh. Digging. That's just what we need today." growled Owen.

Suddenly there is a loud pop from down in Owens lab and a gas cloud whoofs out of the doorway, throwing Nine to the floor. It dissipates before anything is done to secure it.

"Nine!" Jack shouts running over to her with no regard for his own safety.

"Wow .. What happened ?" Nine murmurs, dazed and confused.

"don't move…. What the hell was that?!"

"No idea. There was nothing in that body. Nothing!" Owen said, shocked that he could have missed something.

"Your hairs floppy." Nine giggled . Before spacing out completely.

"Stay with me… Nine !" Jack barked trying to keep Nine awake.

"Always so noisy. Be shushed. Hello." She smiled waving at the group that were keeping their distance. "HELLLLOOOOOOO . Toshi won't wave back at me. She's prrrrretty. I don't know why she had a crush on Owen . Coz he's a jerk and he look like a frog… But I guess I don't like him coz he's all angry. Reminds me too much of them."

"Them?"

"The staby people. The ones with the skully headses."

"Who are they Nine?"

"Selenik" She hissed. " evil. They take away our minds. Take our power. Our thought."

"Our?"

"Karain. Karain family. So tired. We're all so tired. We feel so alone without our link. They stole it. Stole it from us. I'm so sorry. So sorry. I ran. I … So … Tired… We are all so tired… So … Dead."

"Why don't you remember?"

"My mind does not want to remember… Kar-a-in take bad thoughts. New life... New family… I didn't mean to get in the way… You can let them find me … No more pain for you … No more pain for anyone…"

"I'm not going to do that Nine."

"Then your stupid… Ianto is sweet. He likes you. And all the world forgets him. It's not fare… I smell some sort of drugsys. It's niiiiice. Sleepy…"Nine smiled as she drifted off.

Jack wondered why it wasn't effecting him. Everyone else had evacuated as per regulations. Jack rolled his eyes and carried Nine outside. He knew why they had to follow these guidelines but this was happening at the worst time. The computers in the van were connected to the main internal computers so they could analyse what the gas was from a safe distance. He wasn't too worried about Nine. Earlier in the month Nine had taken a whole bottle of painkillers to see what would happen and was completely unharmed so this probably wouldn't do much. There was a lot of commotion outside.

"And you didn't notice the little smoke bomb inside the corpse." Gwen growled.

"There was nothing in that body!!" Owen barked back

"How about you go and find out instead of standing there arguing." Jack said trying to defuse the situation. Owen Marched off not wanting to be blamed anymore. He looked over the security camera footage as the computer analysed the air. He saw himself leave and then nothing. He was just watching a set of bones lying on the table until a few minutes in when the left arm exploded into a white dust cloud. He watched it three times and couldn't work out why it happened. Taking a long shot he looked at the room temperature. It had risen six degrees before the arm had exploded. He'd know more when he could look at the body itself but until then he was stuck. That'd drive him up the wall. The air analysis popped up on the screen. It wasn't a name he recognised but if he took the components apart he could tell what it did. Most of it was dried bone and flesh, which he thought he might not tell the others as they tended to be a little over sensitive to things like that, but the other components when mixed with oxygen would create a powerful anaesthetic that would only knock you out in small doses but it could kill in larger ones. Jack would not be happy as this rendered him homeless for the night.

Owen sighed and made his way back to the others.

"So?" Jack asked.

"The body popped. Some sort of anaesthetic in the air. No harm done but I wouldn't sleep there tonight. Work it out tomorrow." Owen explained quickly. He wanted to get out of there before all hell broke loose.

"Fine. You all may as well go home then." Jack sighed. It wasn't the best situation in the world but it could have been worse.

"But what are you and Nine going to do tonight?" Gwen inquired, the eternal worrier.

"I'll be ok. But I don't know about Nine."

"She can sleep at mine tonight if you want." Tosh said.

"Oh yea? Sleeping. Right." Owen smirked.

"Shut up!"

"I think I won that one."

Tosh glared at him then turned back to Jack.

"That'd be great Tosh, thanks." He smiled.

Nine began to stir "puuuuurty sky …. Glowy orangey sun " she murmured to herself looking up at the sky. She attempted to stand up but her knees faltered. Luckily Gwen caught her on the way down.

"Thank you. The floor looks hard." Nine mumbled letting Gwen prop her up.

"Before you go Nine. Does the word Karain mean anything to you?" Jack asked, worried about her memories returning.

"Go? … Umm . No . Is it meant to?"

"Oh well. No matter." Jack smiled, relieved.

"Well while you're playing mummys and daddys I'm goin home." Owen said wandering off, still irritated that he couldn't work out what had caused the explosion. Bone in that state shouldn't be able to contain pressure long enough to build to explosive levels. The increase in pressure could cause rapid expansion of the gas, but there shouldn't have been any gas in the bone in the first place. He could find out tomorrow but that just wasn't soon enough.

After everyone else had left Jack stood, leaning against the wall. Ianto appeared, he'd left but felt bad about leaving Jack on his own.

"Hello . I thought you'd left." Jack said, not looking away from the sky.

"I was just wondering if you'd like to stay at my place tonight, sir." Ianto asked hopefully.

"The sky's clear tonight … Have you ever seen a star go nova? It's incredible… I'll show you one day."

"but sir …"

"Do you ever look up and wonder what's out there? Outside this little set of planets that you get taught about in school. Out in that huge universe."

"I … not really no."

"You wouldn't believe some of the things out there."

"May I just ask . What's brought this on?"

"Nine told me who's been following her."

"Who?"

"They call themselves Selenik. They're merciless scavengers. But they aren't your usual type. They're smart… But they don't have psychic abilities."

"And that's why it's bothering you?"

"She mentioned something else… Karain . She said they were her family."

"Well she is part alien sir."

"It's just if the Selenik are using these people then they want Nine for the same reason … And with her power …"

"You're thinking we're in too deep?"

"If they decide to take her it's going to take all we have to stop them and people are going to die. And if we don't stop them then humanity's going to be turned into a slave race… I know there's a chance they're a small group and we could fight them off without breaking a sweat but when did we start being that lucky ."

"There's a first time for everything captain. And with Nine on our side aren't our chances a little better?"

Jack turns and smiles "You always know how to cheer me up… And I'll take you up on that offer."

Elsewhere Nine was sitting on Toshiko's sofa watching her rush around trying to look busy.

"Do I make you nervous?" Nine asked.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Well. You've been sort of avoiding being near me since we got here. And being as you don't act like that back home I can only assume that you don't like being alone with me."

"It's not that Nine.. It's hard to explain."

"There's no harm in trying."

"There is. Believe me."

"Why?"

Tosh fell silent. She didn't know how to answer. She couldn't tell Nine how she felt. It still felt somehow wrong and she'd tried to convince herself that it was just a little crush that would go away. It still hadn't. And what was worse was Nine wasn't looking as much like a little kid anymore as Gwen, in her wisdom, had taught Nine how to dress in a complementary way. The first time she'd seen Nine dress like her age would suggest she nearly choked on her coffee, not good as she was sitting very close to her computer. Nine looked up at her waiting for an answer.

"Look Nine. This is hard. It's not something I usually talk about." Tosh groaned, sitting down.

"You don't have to tell me . I just don't want you to feel uncomfortable."

"It's just …. Nine. Read my mind."

"What?! Are you sure ?"

"I'll block anything I don't want you to see."

"urm … ok … If you're sure."

Nine's eyes turned blue as she searched Toshiko's mind. She started getting dizzy the deeper she went. She stopped before she fell off the sofa. "Something's keeping me out."

"I didn't mean too."

"Don't worry . Some people are just naturally defensive."

That night as Tosh was finally settling down to sleep she could hear murmurings from the room where Nine lay. At least, that's where she thought it was coming from.

"Bring her …Bring her to us … Bring her." It whispered. As the voice got louder Tosh found it harder and harder to stay awake. She drifted in and out of consciousness before finally submitting to sleep. She tossed and turned all night before waking with a start. She wrapped her dressing gown around her and rushed into the kitchen. Her throat felt like she'd been gargling sand and she began choking . She poured herself a glass of water and necked it. Tosh relaxed and caught her breath, looking up at the clock. If they didn't leave soon they'd be late for work. Nine was already dressed and prepared to leave.

Back at The hub Jack, Ianto and Owen were already there. Owen was in his lab with the body attempting to work out why its arm had exploded, much of which covered the walls. Jack was in his room to see if anything was damaged and Ianto was tidying up as he hadn't had the chance to the night before. He was feeling uneasy as he swore he'd heard a voice in his sleep that wasn't Jacks. Gwen appeared at her desk.

"Good morning" Ianto smiled, covering his concern.

"Good morning. Have you seen Tosh? She's usually here by now."

"Urm .. No . Sorry."

"I'm worried about her. She's getting too attached."

"You can't help who you love."

"Love? Really?"

"From what I've seen."

"That'll be complicated when Nine goes."

"Who says she's goin?"

"Well, she has to doesn't she?"

"Not necessarily. She helps with the weevils and she can help us identify a lot of what we find. She could be a real asset. But it's not up to me." Ianto shrugged, going back to tidying up. His head was pounding.

It wasn't too long until Tosh appeared followed closely by Nine who was carrying both their bags. Tosh had a headache too.

Nine put the bags down and wandered off to see where Jack was but she could feel something was wrong. She felt as if she was being watched and shivered at the thought of what it might be.

"Knock it off Nine!" Ianto barked from across the room.

"Huh?" She replied.

"Tapping my mind. I thought you'd stopped that a week ago."

"That isn't me.. Green unpowered eyes, see?"

"Then what's ….." Ianto questioned as his eyes rolled back and his head flopped forward.

"Ianto? What's wrong?" Nine asked, her voice quivering as she knew exactly what was wrong. "Ianto?"

He looked up . His eyes were wide, as if screaming, but glazed over. He lunged toward Nine who jumped back just out of reach. She could see he was trying to fight it but he wasn't doing too well. Gwen rushed over and tried to restrain him but in his controlled form he was much stronger than usual and threw her to the floor. She landed hard on her back and whimpered.

"Gwen ! … Ianto I know you're in there. You have to stop!" Nine pleaded, desperately not wanting to hurt her friend.

"Run …. Get … out … of … here…" He gasped, trying to break through.

Nine did as commanded and ran for the steps that lead to the upper walkway. She noticed that Tosh was missing but had to attend to other matters first. Ianto was fast and appeared behind her before she expected. He backhanded her across the face sending her off the side of the walkway. She swung down and pulled herself back up behind Ianto clamping her hands on the sides of his head. Her eyes glowed bright icy blue as she locked out and outside tampering of his mind. He slumped to the floor in her arms. He was coughing and gasping for breath. Nine telekinetically dragged her bag to her and took a bottle of water out of it. He'd drunk half the bottle before stopping to breath.

"Are you going to be ok ?" Nine asked, feeling Ianto relax.

He nodded weakly as he began to doze involuntarily.

"Come on . You can't sleep up here."

"I'm not … I'm just …"

"Come on." She said, lifting him to his feet. Looking at her you could never tell how strong she was.

He leant down, slouched over, on her as they made their way very slowly down the steps. Jack ran out towards them and took Ianto's other arm.

"What happened?" Jack asked.

"They're here." She replied simply.

Jack set Ianto down in a chair as Gwen limped over.

"I've locked them out of his mind." Nine said, standing back and surveying the area. Tosh was nowhere to be seen but Nine could guess where she'd been sent.

Nine ran off.

"Nine! Get back here!" Jack shouted after her. She ignored him and continued.

She soon found herself creeping around dark corridors trying to sense where exactly Tosh was. She was soon to find out as the prongs of a stun gun were jabbed into her back. She felt the burning of the electricity coursing though her body but it had no real effect. She span around and pushed Tosh back telekinetically, knocking the stun gun out of her hand.

"Don't make me fight you." Nine pleaded.

Tosh charged at her, slamming her into the wall behind and pinning her arms over her head.

"Toshiko please… I can't breath… let me go." Nine gasped, struggling, trying not to elbow Tosh in the face. Her heart was pounding and she had an odd feeling in her stomach that she couldn't identify. She began to cough and gasp as her chest tightened. She could see Jack over Toshiko's shoulder. He was pointing the dropped stun gun at her.

"Let Nine go Tosh. I don't want to have to do this." Jack barked.

"JACK !.. DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE!!" Nine shouted , using most of the oxygen she'd been conserving up in one statement. "Tosh … I … know you're … still … in there… you have … to let me go."

"I .. Nine … There's something in my head." Tosh whimpered , loosening her grip slightly.

Nine took the opportunity given to her and pulled her arms free. Her lungs began to loosen. She was tired but she knew what she had to do, she pulled Tosh to the floor and put her hand over the panic stricken woman's eyes. Nine began to block all outside signals from Toshiko's brain. It was tougher than when she'd blocked Ianto's mind, it took more energy.

"Get her upstairs. She'll need a drink and an hours nap." Nine instructed.

"But what about you?" Jack inquired.

"I'm fine. I'll be right behind you."

Nine slumped down against the wall, catching her breath. She was upset. Very upset. The place that had become her home wasn't safe anymore and her friends were being used against her.

She was considering what to do next as Gwen appeared.

"Jack sent me to keep you company." She said sitting down next to her.

"I'll be fine ... This may be an odd question but ..."

"Go on."

"I know what boys do when ... urm ... well ..."

Gwen looked down at Nine who was blushing brightly. "Oh. I see. Well there isn't much you can do."

"Well that sucks."

".. There is one thing."

"Yes?"

"Well you could always take care of your self."

"What do you mean?"

"well ... erm .. you know..." Gwen stuttered a little embarrassed.

"It doesn't matter anyway... I shouldn't be here Gwen. I should go."

"What?!"

"Well Tosh and Ianto could have got really hurt today and it would have been my fault. I was only kept here as it was the safest place and now it isn't."

"Were'll you go?"

"I don't know. Somewhere out in the countryside."

"We can't let you leave Nine."

"Why? Are you gonna lock me up again?"

"No . It's just whatever happens it is safer here. Out there anything could happen."

"You know what's after me, don't you?"

Gwen nodded but looked away.

"What happens if it catches me?"

"Bad things. Just very bad things. Let's leave it at that."

"So what if they don't go away. Or what if they do? What happens to me?"

"I don't know. Jack wouldn't mind you sticking around. And you do help us out."

"But you still don't let me near anything important just in case I'm a spy or something. Owen still hates me. I make Toshiko nervous and I have no idea why. Jack puts his own team in danger just because of me. You may as well have a weevil hanging around."

"You shouldn't think like that."

"Don't act like it isn't true." Nine growled, rubbing her shoulders.

Gwen didn't answer. They simply sat in silence, uncomfortable and both wishing they weren't there.

"I'm sorry. I think it's just the oxygen deprivation talking." Nine mumbled, leaning forward and hugging her knees.

"Why don't you come and see how the others are doing? You might feel better when you see that they're ok."

"Meh"

"And from what I've heard whatever it was got into their heads last night at home, not here."

"That doesn't make me feel better Gwen. I was with Tosh all night. I should have sensed it. I should have stopped it."

"That wasn't your job. You did what was needed today."

"And what if I couldn't block their minds off? And what if you're next?"

"We're working on it."

"Translation. You have no idea."

Gwen marched out ahead. Nine didn't want to be pessimistic but she did just have to fend off two of her best friends who were attempting to at very least incapacitate her. This thing wanted her alive. She'd be no use dead. This gave her an idea.

Upstairs Both Tosh and Ianto were recovering. Nine hid in the shadows as she entered the room. Ianto turned and looked directly at her.

"What did you do Nine? Something feels different"

"I locked your mind. Nothing can tamper with it now. Not even me."

"Why?"

"It was the only way."

"And Tosh?"

"The same thing."

"Wouldn't just knocking us out have been better, instead of tampering with our minds?"

"Call it self preservation. But at least you can never be used as a slave again."

"Slave?"

"You heard me." Nine grumped, charging off to go and talk to the weevils, as they seemed the less aggressive of the options. She spent most of the day there, arguing with the feral creatures and bitching about humans in general. The weevils began telling her disturbing stories of humans and their cruelty. She had to find out for herself but later on as she wished to avoid any confrontation, then she heard the lift moving.

Owen walked out looking more than board.

"Come to shout at me frogman?"

"No."

"Why? Everyone else is."

"Then that'd make me the same as them."

"Nothing would make you the same as them."

"Thanks."

"It wasn't a compliment."

"Shows how much you know."

"What's that meant to mean?"

"Humans are wankers. I'm just more honest about it."

"Humans are ok."

"You really think so?" He said with a smug and mischievous smile. "Just look up war. And nuclear bombs. You'll see what I mean."

The weevil standing in the cell next to them grunted and pointed at Owen.

"Yes. Him." Nine answered it.

"What did she just ask you?"

"Janet asked if you were the one I was talking about earlier. She told me some very interesting things about you Owen. You don't just scare weevils, you act like them too."

"Maybe you'll see that that isn't such a bad thing."

Nine waited until everyone had left or was busy in other rooms to use Toshiko's computer. She logged on to the internet and typed 'war' into Google. She spent hours reading pages and pages, looking at image after image. She started to feel sick as it all began to sink in. With a shaky hands she typed in 'nuclear bomb'. After only ten minutes of searching through descriptions and images she marched away from the computer, feeling highly nauseous and disgusted with humanity.

She curled up on the sofa as Jack walked back in.

"Nine? Are you ok?"

Nine doesn't move or answer.

"What's wrong?" Jack asked putting his hand on her arm.

She pulled away violently before standing and turning to Jack. She growled at him in her native tongue, he couldn't understand what she said. "How can you save these creatures?"

"What?"

"Humans. They're monsters."

"Where's this coming from?"

"They kill each other in the millions. They torture each other for the sake of free land. They destroy their own world to kill each other. They create weapons that burn people from the inside out!!"

"Nine. Humans have done horrible things but they aren't all the same. They've done some incredible things too."

"That doesn't make up for it!! They don't deserve help!"

"And what about us Nine?! We're human." Jack barked.

"You're right. You are… I always though Owen was the bad guy around here, but at very least he's honest." Nine sniffs before running off.

"Nine." Jack calls after her, a mix of sadness and anger taking hold of him. He'd had days where he thought those same thoughts but at least he had a life to look back on so he could judge for himself. Nine was just reacting as any outsider would. But He worried about how this would effect her in the long term. He'd have to find her and talk with her about it.

It was at this moment that Ianto walked in.

"What happened? I heard arguing." he asked, bin bag in hand.

"Nine's contemplating the virtues of the human race. It isn't going well."

"This was bound to happen at some point. We can't shelter her forever."

"I was just hoping … I mean I knew we couldn't but to find out on her own, and without anyone to put it into context for her."

"She'll understand. She's just a bit angry at the moment."

The Hub was surprisingly large and though she'd only lived there a month she had already found every hiding place there. She crawled up into the vents above Owens lab, they usually smelt of lemon cleaning fluid and disinfectant. No-one had worked this out yet so she was safe to be on her own without being disturbed by anyone. It was cramped but Nine was quite fond of very small spaces. But there was something wrong. She'd forgotten her frog. It had become a little like a comfort blanket and she hated being without it. It was a little ironic that she'd called it Owen before she'd found out about humans and their less than desirable nature, and now he was the only one she trusted. She wanted her frog. She had to move. She had to leave her safe little vent and for some reason that struck fear into her heart. This feeling seemed all too familiar and she couldn't take it. She moved quickly, practically flying, and ended up appearing from a loose grate down in the cells. Janet grunted, asking what was wrong, but Nine didn't answer. She made her way to the floor above, her heart pounding so fast she swore it would explode soon. Her vision was getting fuzzy and she couldn't find the frog anywhere. A burning pain filled her head just before she hit the floor. The loud crash that emanated from the desk she fell head first into alerted Jack and Ianto, who were both searching high and low for her, to her location. She was sprawled on the floor, shivering, making very weevil like sounds. Suddenly she stopped and Jack and Ianto shared a worried glance. Nine rolled over.

"Desks hurt." Nine whined putting one hand against her head and the other against the large dent in the metal panel that formed the side of the desk. Lucky for her she had a hard skull and her spine was protected by the second skin she had just underneath her flesh, it was made entirely out of plates of strengthened cartilage. She was built like a weevil and it seemed as if Owen was the only one who'd noticed. The x-rays she'd had done when she was admitted into hospital came out almost completely grey, the doctors had replaced the machinery because of it. Nine sat bolt upright, listening to a high pitched whining. It sounded like the test card on the tv late at night. It went on all night, higher and higher until no human could hear it, no weevil could hear it but it seemed deafening. Jack thought his hearing had gone and shrugged it off but Nine was restless. Is that what had caused her to act so rashly and slam into the desk? She didn't sleep, she couldn't. as the sun rose Gwen appeared. She looked tired and flopped down in her chair.

"What's wrong?" Nine asked cautiously, keeping her distance.

" I didn't sleep." She yawned.

"Why?"

"I've got this ringing in my ears."

"What sort of ringing."

"It's more like a squeal." Gwen muttered laying her head down on the desk.

"Gwen? You look really ill… Gwen? Wake up … Gwen!" Nine shouted as Gwen lay limply across the desk. "JACK!" She called looking for some sort of help. He didn't answer. Owen walked in, looking just as worried as nine was.

"What's going on Nine?!" He growled assuming it was her fault.

"Gwen won't wake up. And Jack isn't answering me."

"Out of the way!" He said pushing her to the side so he could examine Gwen. His head began to spin and he grabbed for the back of Gwen's chair as his knees buckled. Nine stood back, her heart racing, she couldn't smell anything in the air, she couldn't hear the weevils anymore, it was too strange. Then they appeared. Two tall, hunched over, wide eyed, fanged creatures. Their skin was white and their eyes were bight blue, they had a set of metal wires running into their foreheads. She knew them, at least it felt that way.  
"Help me please. I don't know what's happening." Nine whimpered.

The creatures moved aside as a grey skinned humanoid being floated in.

"You are to come with us Takcha." It said.  
Nine didn't know why but she feared this one. She'd seen it in her dreams. The dreams that had haunted her sleep since she'd landed. "Where?"

"Silence! You will do as you are commanded! You will serve the Selenik."

Nine turned and ran as fast as she could to try and find Jack. He'd always been there for her before. He had to be fine. He just had to. Nine may have hated humanity but they were all she had. She didn't get far as the grey being brought a pistol like weapon out and fired a light dart into her spine. She skidded across the floor as her world went black and cold.

Jack was the first to awaken from the psychically induced slumber. He sat up, bleary eyed, and looked round his cell. It was dimly lit, bare and bleak. A Selenik slave master sat next to a curled up Karain male.

"Where is Nine?!" He barked.  
The guard barely looked up "she's where she's meant to be." it growled.

"I want to talk to her."

"You can't. Now sit down!"

"What have you done with her?!"

"I don't remember the last human we had being so noisy. Well not at the start."

"You shouldn't threaten me!"

"Why not? You are just another plaything. Just like the other two."

Jack looked through the side bars of the cell. Gwen lay in the cell to his left. Owen sat staring at the floor to his right, he had the same wire headset on as the Karain slave had. "Owen. Can you hear me ?"

Owen nodded slowly.

"you have to take that thing off your head."

"Not yet. It connects up to their main computer. I'm talking to Nine."

"Is she ok?"

Owen didn't answer, his mind too busy communicating with Nine.

"They're running around. I can hear them. They're trying to kill my mind." Nine whimpered, immobilised.

"You need to shut off the power."

"Why?"

"Don't waist time and just do it."

"I can't . It's too difficult."

"Oh and this is a bloody walk in the park!"

"Sorry. But how will it help?"

"It'll shut these damn mental suppressors down."

"Then what?"

"Work it out for yourself Nine!"

"I can't right now."

"You tell all your fanged friends to tear those grey bastards apart."

"I'll try . But I can't talk to you anymore if I do."

"Good. See you on the other side Nine." Owen thought before reaching up for the wires. The thing was that his lower level psychic ability stopped the headsets from completely taking over his mind. He wrapped his fingers firmly around it and took a deep breath, he knew it was going to hurt like hell but there was nothing he could do to stop that, and that wasn't the main problem. The problem was that he was still technically asleep so as soon as he pulled the headset off he'd wake up and find himself in the same nightmare that he was currently sitting in, he preferred his usual morning visions of his bedroom ceiling or whoever he'd picked up the night before. He knew the old adage of ripping off a plaster quickly was bull' but he had to do it at some point. He clenched his teeth and pulled. It tore off with an unnerving sound that was very similar to the sound of tearing paper. He roared as a layer, or two, of skin was torn off at each point. Now he knew why Nine had the scars on her head. The lights went out and the guard sprang up shouting in his own language.

Back in the hub Tosh had just entered, and Ianto was rushing around like a headless chicken, very unlike him.

"What's going on?" She asked putting down her laptop bag.

"They're gone !"

"Who ? … What?"

" Jack .. Gwen … Owen. They've just disappeared off the face of the planet."

"What about Nine?"

"Her too. They're nowhere."

"How far have you scanned?"

"Most of the country."

"And no trace? Is the van missing?"

"No. Nothing is except them."

"What time did you get here?"

" About two hours ago. Why?"

"This place might not have been disturbed but it doesn't mean nothing happened here."

"I checked the main security cameras and I can't find anything on them but I haven't had time to do anything with it. It could have been tampered with but it seemed unlikely at the time. Now I'm not so sure."

"Ok, I'll set that up . Can you set up a satellite scan, please?"

Ianto nods and rushes off as Tosh accesses the security camera footage. It looked normal but that wasn't surprising, many people had the type of technology that could tamper with security camera footage flawlessly, but not many could get rid of the little scars made in the data itself. Usually it would take hours to find these little things but Tosh had made programmes to do this years ago. It was pretty low level stuff.

After only three minutes she found what she was looking for. Most of the original data had been destroyed but there were a few frames that remained. She brought them up on screen and cleared up the image. She recognised the creatures from the video file they'd found with Nine's ship.  
"Ianto!" She shouted.

"Yes?"

"Have you found anything?"

"Well, yes and no."

"What's that meant to mean?!"

"There's a trace of something but it's vague. It wouldn't usually have been picked up."

"That's not helpful!!"

"I can't control what it finds Tosh!"

"Sorry . I just … arg." She growled, slamming her fist down onto the desk in frustration.

"What did you find?"

"Come over here and have a look."

Ianto rushed over and looked at the screen. "What are they?"

"They're Nine's people or something. They're nasty."

"So what about Jack?"

"I… I don't know."

Back on the ship there was chaos. With the power off the air was quickly becoming thin and the temperature had already dropped five degrees. Gwen was standing drowsily watching her breath condense into a white cloud in front of her face. The Karain slave had torn the headset from his skull and was now looming over the cowering Selenik guard. It growled, showing it's large fangs, sounding just like an angry weevil. It suddenly turned towards Jack.

"You are… Captain? Yes?" It stuttered, clearly unfamiliar with the language.

"Yes. And you are?"

"I am Katra. Takcha's grand father. You saved her… You save us."

"Takcha? You mean Nine?"

"That is what you call her. She is thankful. She .. She needs you… Power out. She can't breath."

"Where is she?"

"Follow me." Katra said tearing the cell doors clear off. "We have not much time."

Without a second thought they followed the large creature, meeting others on the way. They were all looking a little dazed and confused now they had free control of their minds after goodness knows how long. Most of the Selenik they saw were running away or cowering. What struck Gwen most about the whole situation was that in most uprisings such as this the slaves would be taking revenge on their oppressors but the Karain seemed completely disinterested with hurting the grey skinned beings.

As they entered the large main control room they saw her. She was encased in a metal shell that looked like a suite of armour with a mask that was shaped like a long oval shield. There were wires stemming from her back and the sides of her head. The glow where her eyes were shown was dim. There were many Selenik doctors running around the room and one that was dressed differently standing in front of Nine. The lights sprung back into life.

"Get away from her!" Jack ordered.

The doctors froze and backed off but the other one ignored him. Owen moved round to see what he could do for the trapped Nine knowing that the shell was much too small for her. When she'd landed on earth she was dangerously underweight but now she was an average, healthy, weight and so the metal must have been crushing her. The grey being turned. He was smiling all four of his eyes squinting.

"You've caused quite a bit of trouble haven't you now. I am prince Hekrel and these are my pets. I do not appreciate you taking them from their restraints. I also do not appreciate you taking our half human. She happens to be my favourite."

Jack had to hold Gwen back as she lunged forward to throttle the Selenik prince. "Not yet Gwen. Not yet."

"I wouldn't bother cave man. That suppressor is bonded shut. It cannot be opened." The being continued turning towards Owen. He growled at the prince getting ready to rip the aliens head off as soon as the chance arose. He was surprised Jack hadn't lunged for it yet, so there must be a reason not to attack. Nine's eyes glowed a little brighter as oxygen was infused into her blood by the suit. She could see the shapes of human figures but couldn't work out who they were, as she'd also shut down her psychic abilities so the Selenik could not access them though the wires in her head.

Jack stood waiting. Waiting for just the right moment. Waiting until he could attack without being electrocuted. Selenik royalty were all born with the natural ability to create lethal bolts of electricity when threatened. It wouldn't kill Jack but it would hurt and knock him out for too long to help anyone.

Hekrel laughed, at least it sounded like a laugh, and wandered over to one of the wall mounted computers. "Now little Takcha. I think it's time you showed out guests out."

A bolt of energy shot through Nine's brain forcing her to stretch her right arm out, her palm pointed at Jack. He could see the blue pulse weapon set into her hand, which she was trying desperately to close.

"No." a digital sounding version of Nine's voice said from inside her metal shell.

"WHAT?!" The grey prince shouted, sparks shooting between his fingers.

"I won't hurt them."

"You'll do as I say!!"

"I will not."

"Takcha …!!!"

"That is not my name. I am Nine. I help. I live. I… I am not yours! I am mine! I am free to do what I wish!!" Nine struggled. She took a step forward. Her metal encased foot clanking on the floor.

Hekrel through a large bolt of electrical energy at Nine but it simply grounded though the external wires. Now was Jacks chance, it would take Hekrel a while to recharge. Jack charged with almost inhuman speed and slammed the Selenik's head into the control panel, cracking it like an egg with the sheer power of the impact. Gwen couldn't help but let out a cry at the sight. The other doctors evacuated the room.

"Jack?" Nine whimpered.

"We're gonna get you outa there, ok?" He said, trying to reassure her.

"It's so cold. I can't feel my feet anymore."

"Captain?" Katra piped up , asking Jack over.

"Yes?"

"I know of a way to release her."

"Then do it."

"There's a chance she may not survive it."

"If she stays in there she'll die anyway. Just do it."

Katra calls a group of his kind into the room. They encircle Nine.

"What are they doing?" Owen asked being shooed out of the way.

"We're pulling the metal off from the inside. It is safer and should cause less damage." Katra explained, completing the circle. They all started to hum in a low tone and the metal casing that held Nine began to glow blue. It lifted a few feet off the floor before the metal began to creak and strain. From inside Nine began to scream, the wires being slowly pulled out of her body. Gwen held onto Jack, burying her head in his shoulder, finding himself looking away. Even Owen couldn't take it and left the room. It went on for what seemed to Nine like an eternity until the metal shot apart. She was lowered to the floor, covered in small cuts and needle holes all of which were slowly bleeding, her lips were blue and her toes were numb. She lay gasping for breath as her lungs had been released from their bindings. One of the Karain walked over and wrapped her in a large grey sheet.

"Find a small ship so they can return to their home." Katra ordered before turning to Jack and Gwen. "She is yours. We do not wish to see you or her again."

"What?! You're her family." Gwen barked between sniffles.

"No. She is not one of us. I've been in her mind. She is one of the old ones. Has too much emotion. She would not survive with us."

"Old ones?" Jack asked Holding onto Gwen's wrist tightly.

"The one's you call weevil. We are far away from home."

"You're not even from this time are you? That's why you wont take her back."

"That is none of your concern."

"But she's your granddaughter!"

"She has been dead to me since her father died. You named her. You gave her hope. She is yours. Now please leave. My people just want to put their lives back together."

Jack waited until the Karain left the room before releasing Gwen who looked more enraged than he'd seen her in a while.

"How could they ?!" She screamed, letting off steam.

"Gwen. They aren't thinking right now. They just want to go home." Jack sighed, lifting Nine into his arms, sharing his body heat with the shivering girl.

"Jack. Are you ok? You've gone white as a sheet."

"I'm fine. Just tired."

Owen appeared at the door and called them over. They walked to the small spacecraft in silence. They spent the trip back the same way, though mostly because Gwen and Owen were wondering how Jack knew how to pilot a spacecraft. Luckily it was dark when they got back so the ship was unseen. The ship was set to return itself to the main Selenik ship after they'd been dropped off Jack hadn't argued or tried to make a deal like he usually would have. He was more concerned about Nine, or more what he was going to tell her.

"Owen. Could you check that there's no lasting damage done." Jack asked as he and Owen walked down into the autopsy room, the nearest sanitised, private, place.

Gwen had been grabbed by Tosh and Ianto who were asking what had happened. Gwen explained and was met with looks of shock and horror. Finally when she was done she waited for any sort of reply from the two.

"I'… is Nine going to be ok?" Tosh asked.

"Owen's checking the damage now. But you know how strong she is I'm sure she be fine." Gwen smiled.

Back in the autopsy room Owen had just finished Nine's check up.

"Nothing serious. Just don't do anything too active for the next few days, ok?" He said in very cold clinical tones.

"They didn't want me, did they?"

"What?"

"That's why I'm here and not there. They don't want me. And nether do any of you. I heard them talking." nine sniffed, tears rolling down her cheeks.

Owen sat next to her "Look, so what if they didn't want you. You hardly knew 'em anyway."

"But they're my family."

"Your family are the ones who care about you most. They didn't."

"but then who?"

"Us lot. But don't tell anyone I said that." He smiled.

Finally she burst into tears. Owen wrapped his arm around her and she leaned into him sobbing. Nine didn't feel so bad anymore, she was warming up and at least she wasn't holding her emotions back anymore.

There was a very loud crash from above them. In the main centre of the hub Tosh, Ianto and Gwen were staring over at Jacks office were the crash had originated from. They looked over at each other trying to decide who was going to investigate.  
"Ianto." The girls said in unison. Ianto gave them the puppy-dog eyes and when that had no effect he grumbled to himself and made his way over.

Jack was sitting on the floor leaning against the wall, what was left of his computer monitor was strewn at his feet and there was a large dent in the wall. Jack was strong.

"They just threw her away.. They threw her away like trash and I didn't stop them." Jack mumbled, staring at the smashed computer monitor.

"Jack. This isn't your fault." Ianto said, sitting down next to his boss.

"I should have done something. She saved them all damn it!"

"Then don't you think she's better off here with people who care about her?"

"They were her family."

"What use is family if they don't care about you?… You're the nearest thing to family she knows."

"And what sort of place is this for a kid?"

"She isn't a kid. And she's strong. She's one of us."

"…So what do I tell her?" Jack asked, an unfamiliar helpless look in his eyes.

"Just tell her she always has a place here with Torchwood … with you."

"… I'm sorry about the computer."

"It's ok sir. It shouldn't take long … Jack . Your hand." Ianto exclaimed, looking down at the large glass cut on jacks hand.

"It's fine."

"you're bleeding."

"It won't be for long. Give it a minute." Jack half smiles, holding up his hand and watching it heal over. He clambered to his feet and offered the hand that wasn't covered in blood to Ianto, he took it and allowed Jack to pull him up. "I'd better get Nine some clothes." Jack smiles weakly. He picks up Nine's bag and pads down to the autopsy room.

He knocked on the door, Owen called up saying he could enter. Nine was still sitting in Owns arms tired and puffy eyed. Jack placed the bag down on the table. Owen stood, gently sitting Nine up. "You get changed and we'll be just outside, ok?"

Nine nodded. Owen lead Jack out urgently. "Can I have a word?" He asked closing the door behind them.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm not sure exactly. Her heart rate is different to most humans but it still seems irregular. And she's having a little trouble breathing. I just want to keep an eye on her for a while."

"Ok. It could be worse."

"Where's she going to stay now? I mean she can go anywhere."

"I don't know. I'll see."

"I know you care about her Jack, just don't forget what she is, eh?" Owen said, patting Jack on the shoulder and wandering off. Nine slowly opened the door dressed in her black pyjamas with the grey sheet folded over her arm. She looked drowsily upward at Jack. "I thought… I thought this might be useful. I grabbed it when they wrapped me up." She mumbled holding out the metal pulse glove. She'd wrapped it up in the grey material before she'd been carried out.

"One of us. Definitely one of us." Jack grinned, taking the glove. She'd made his mind up for him. He knew exactly where she was going to go, or more where she wasn't.

"Jack?"

"Yea?"

"I know they … I heard what they … They didn't want me."

"Nine..."

"No. It's ok. I'm not one of them. I understand. But I'm not one of you either… so…"

"You'll always have a place here."

"Is that because you care or is it because you can't retcon me … or kill me."

"It's because you're my friend."

"…That glove. It can only be fired from an outside digital trigger. It's useless at the moment."

"Always a good thing."

That night Jack caught Tosh on her way out.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"Could Nine stay with you for the weekend? If that's possible. Please"

"Of course. But why?"

"I've got some work to do and I don't want her to get too overexcited. The stress might actually kill her at the moment."

"Shall I pick her up tomorrow morning or tonight?"

"That's up to you."

"Well. If she's ready."

"Hi." Nine smiled sleepily, bag on her back, standing in her pyjamas and boots.

"What makes me think you had this planned Jack Harkness."

"I have no idea." Jack grinned in his 'I didn't do anything' innocent sort of way.

"Goodnight Jack." Tosh sighed. Nine followed waving goodbye.

Jack had plans. After he was sure they'd gone he wandered down to a set of rooms that were used very little. They were originally intended to be conference rooms and looked quite homely. They were void of all furniture but had plush carpeting and comfortable lighting. He smiled to himself as Ianto appeared carrying two large cans of light purple paint. It'd cover the reasonably sized room easily.

"Thanks for helping me. I'd never get this done on my own. Well, in one weekend anyway."

"Of course sir. So she's staying then?"

Jack nods. "I thought it was about time she had a place of her own to sleep." He laughed.

"You know I never saw you as the fatherly type."

"Fatherly ?"

"Well, yes."

"Me?… Who knew."

Elsewhere Tosh had just got home with Nine in tow. The blond half-human dragged herself over to the sofa and flopped down her frog under her arm.

"Would you like a drink or something?" Tosh asked from the kitchen.

"No thanks. I'm sorry. I haven't been much company to you."

"It's ok . You're tired."

"How long's that goin to last?"

"A few days probably. Your heart and lungs are working harder than usual. Owen said there shouldn't be any permanent damage."

"Well that's good. Why'd Jack want me out of the way?"

"I think he's up to something. And it'd be a bad idea to put any needless strain on your system."

"What could he be up to?"

"I never know with Jack. Though being as Ianto's car was still there when we left I think they just wanted some time alone together."

"That makes sense" Nine smiled

"Oh. Can you remind me to ask Ianto to set up your ID on Monday?"

"Sure. But why?"

"Well being as you're staying I assume you're working for us so you need some sort of ID."

"Oh cool… I don't have a last name."

"Huh?"

"I don't have a last name."

"We'll just find one for you. Don't worry."

"And won't Nine sound a little bit odd?"

"Why so many questions tonight? What are you really worried about?" Tosh asked sitting next to Nine.

"It's nothing really."

"You can tell me."

"I'm probably just being paranoid."

"That doesn't mean you can't tell me."

"Well, I'm just not sure that you all really want me around. Just letting me stay coz you don't want the guilt of leaving me." Nine mumbled, staring at the floor.

"We wouldn't keep you around just for that. Well, Gwen might but she's soft."

Nine giggled.

"What?" Tosh asked, looking very confused.

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"Cheering me up."

"… Jack gave me that glove you brought back but he didn't say what it did."

"It's a type of pulse weapon that only damages biological material. It was developed to be used on space craft . Though it needs a new trigger if you want to use it, the old one got torn off."

"Can you show me?" Asked Tosh walking over to her bag.

"I thought you weren't meant to bring stuff home."

"Jack said it was ok." she answered returning with the skeletal clawed glove.

Nine slipped it on and flexed her fingers, it was warm as it had been placed in the bag against Toshiko's overused laptop computer. She looked down at the blue disk in the middle of her palm, it was slightly raised and she could see wires underneath the blue lens. "The only problem with this is it's more of a wide range weapon. Good for taking down large gangs or doors but not for picking someone off in a crowd… It used to have more plaiting but it was too bulky to hide."

Tosh liked working with Nine like this. It meant she could be close to her and not blush madly every five seconds. Nine slipped off the glove and offered it to Tosh. "Try it on." She smiled. Toshiko took it and studied it for a while before gently slipping it on, it was a little small but not too uncomfortable. It was incredibly light and very flexible, comfortable, she could probably put a glove over it and forget it was there, a perfect covert weapon. Nine rubbed her eyes and yawned in a childlike manner, her lungs ached and her back was sore.

"Let's finish looking at this in the morning." Tosh smiled, standing up, wandering over to her laptop bag and slipping it back in.

Nine nodded and leant back finding it hard to keep her eyes open. She should have slept in the ship, she should have slept as soon as she hit the floor, she could have fallen asleep on the autopsy table, she had no idea why she hadn't. She slipped her boots off, as they weren't actually zipped up, and wiggled her toes enjoying the air. Her eyes kept rolling, felt like she was floating, exhausted. Tosh grabbed a fleecy cover, lifted Nines legs onto the sofa, and tucked her in. She smiled and murmured something in her sleep.

In her dreams she'd found herself in a dimly lit, vaguely orange, room, there was soft ballroom music playing though she couldn't see where it was coming from. Across the room from her a female figure stood in the shadows wearing a long, black, flowing dress with a high split down the left side, it was tailored and fitted like a second skin. Nine's heart raced as she found herself walking towards the figure and offering her hand as a gesture to dance. The figure walked into the light, her face still in shadow, and gently took Nine's hand. She found herself dancing, sort of like Jack had taught her but closer and warmer. The music seemed to get blurrier by the second but her senses were heightened, the smell of lavender filled her head, she could see every detail of the female figures dress, she could feel the warm silkiness of the figures hand in hers. The music completely faded out and the figure stopped and began clapping as if the band had finished the song. The figure turned back to her, it's face was clearer now, the eyes, so familiar, deep and brown, sparkling.

"Toshiko?" Nine asked. The figure smiled and held her close. She could feel the woman's heartbeat with hers as she leant down slightly and kissed her deeply. She was quite enjoying the experience, something she'd never done before. The figure pulled away leaving Nine a little weak in the knees. The woman turned and began to walk away.

"Wait." Nine called out. The figure didn't turn back and Nine couldn't move, "Don't go…. Toshiko!".

The scene became much darker, the shadows enclosing her, blinding her. She tried to cry out but her voice faltered and her legs were completely useless, a horrendous pain gripping her body. Was she still trapped? Had earlier just been a dream? It would explain Owen being nice to her. She could hear someone talking to her but it seemed so far away. Again, closer. Again, closer still. A bright light pierced the darkness as she opened her eyes.

"Nine. Wake up." Tosh pleaded her hand on Nine's shoulder.

"'m 'wake" Nine mumbled, still suffering the aftershocks of the bad dream.

"You were crying in your sleep."

"'m fine… Just a bad dream… What time's it?"

"quarter past two. Nine. You're still crying."

"Am not." She sniffed, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

Tosh had guessed Nine would have nightmares after what Gwen told her had happened. Nine curled up under the cover and smiled, trying to reassure a very worried looking Toshiko.

Later that day Ianto walked into the hub to find Jack surrounded by astronomy books on the floor.

"What exactly are you doing sir?" He asked, attempting to stop himself tidying the books into neat piles.

"I'm a bit rusty on constellations."

"And why does that matter?"

"I want to make sure I paint them right."

"Oh I see."

"Nine spent most of her nights up on the roof staring at the stars. She said it helped her sleep when she was restless or having nightmares." Jack smiled picking up another book and making a few more marks on the large sheet of paper at his side. He rolled it up and carried it down to what was slowly becoming Nine's room. Ianto neatened up the books and placed them on the nearest clear surface, wondering where Jack had gotten them from as the library wasn't open yet and Jack had never had any use for them before. He picked one up and flicked though, there were notes written on a few of the pages and the handwriting was vaguely familiar. He scanned his memory trying to figure it out and then it struck him, they'd been Susie's. He dropped the book back on the table with the others, unsure why it shocked him so much, she was dead but they were just books. They weren't even personal items, it was more seeing her writing again, the one thing he saw every day while she was there. He doubted if Jack had even noticed, as he had a tendency to forget the outside world when he had his mind set on a project, the outside world including food, liquid and attempting any sort of sleep or rest. Ianto wandered off to fetch coffee and biscuits, at least that was some sort of sustenance. When he entered the freshly painted room he saw Jack standing at the top of a ladder with a small paintbrush and pot of iridescent white paint painting tiny stars on the midnight blue ceiling. Most of the ceiling was complete he was just working on the far left hand corner. Ianto put the tray down on a chair and walked over to the ladder. Jack looked down.

"I'm not used to you being without your suit." Jack smirked.  
Ianto had decided that getting paint on his neater clothes would be a bad idea so he was wearing a simple t-shirt and jeans. He smiled at the double entendre that Jack had somehow missed, his mind so set to his task.

"You realise what you just said, don't you sir?"

"Huh?" Jack repeated the sentence to himself then laughed "How did I miss that?"

"It must be the paint fumes. Coffee?"

"Thanks . In a minute. I just have to finish this. Once this is done we can move the furniture in."

"We have all of tomorrow to work on this too. It doesn't need to be finished today."

"Nine might come back early. She isn't used to being away."

"She's with Tosh. I doubt it'll be a problem." Ianto smiled, a knowing look in his eyes.

"Really?"

"Haven't you noticed?"

"Noticed what?"

"You are joking aren't you sir?"

"No. What?"

"Well Tosh and Nine. They like each other. Though neither of them would admit it."

"They do?"

"How could you not notice?"

"I've just been busy. I worry when we don't have at least one weevil every two weeks. It usually means something's wrong. Or something's going to be wrong."

"That's very pessimistic sir."

"Depends. After yesterday it's pretty average on the scale." Jack laughed climbing down the ladder. Ianto handed him a cup of coffee. Upstairs Toshiko's computer began to beep noisily.

"No rest for the wicked." Ianto sighed as Jack handed the cup back to him.

Jack rushed up and looked at what the computer was bleeping about. "Well there's the weevil I was asking for. Call Gwen and Owen in."

"Yes sir ." Ianto nodded before walking away to do as he'd been asked.

Owen was still asleep when his phone went off, he was pondering throwing the thing across the room but decided against it. He dragged himself out of bed and got dressed mumbling profanities to himself. He decided against breakfast, as he was nursing a hangover and didn't feel like seeing it in reverse, and headed out. Gwen on the other hand had been awake for hours she hadn't slept properly and had spent the night before crying on Rhys' shoulder about having a "stressful" day, the understatement of the century. Rhys had just finished the washing up when Gwen's mobile rang, she gave it a glance then flicked it onto the floor.

"That work again?" Rhys asked.

Gwen nodded and brushed her hair back out of her face.

"If it's doin this to you why don't you quit? It's no use goin in all depressed eh?"

"I'm fine. Just a little tired. I'll be back before this afternoon I promise. How about we go out later?"

"All right. Just take care of yourself. I'll see you later love." Rhys said, forcing a smile. Gwen gave him a quick peck on the cheek before rushing out. As she entered the hub Jack and Owen were sat waiting for her.

"Well you took your time." Owen barked.

Gwen rolled her eyes and ignored him. "Erm… Jack? Why do you have paint on your nose?"

"Oh. Do I? I'm decorating. Shall we go?" Jack asked, wiping the shiny paint from his skin.

"What are you decorating?"

"A room."

"I guessed that. I mean what room?"

"Nine's room."

"What?" Gwen called speeding up her pace to keep up with Jack who was almost running away from her. "So Nine's staying and living here?"

"Yes."

"Does she know?"

"Yes."

"And she's working for us?"

"Yes. Any other pointless questions?"

"What are we going after?"

"Weevil … hopefully."

"hopefully ?"

"The computer wasn't sure."

"Wonderful."

"Isn't it." Jack grinned.

"Where's Tosh?" Owen said, finally contributing something.

"She's busy."

"Let me guess. Babysitting?"

"Would you rather I give you the job?"

"Just observing."

After half an hour of idle chatter in the SUV they arrived where the maybe weevil had appeared. There wasn't a human in sight which made their lives easier, less chance of collateral damage. Something moved ahead of them. They could hear the sound of hoofs against the tarmac and there was a strong scent of burnt plastic in the air. This wasn't any weevil they'd seen before. It clopped out, a short, scaly, goat legged, green coloured creature, much like a stereotypical demon or imp. It twitched it's pointed ears and blinked it's lizard like eyes at them.

"Hello." Jack smiled. The creature backed off a little, cautious of the humans. It grunted and bowed it's head. Jack bowed back. The creature smiled, showing it's teeth, they were flat, a herbivore, that was promising. It made a purring sound and clopped in a circle. There was muffled laughter all round. The creature sat down and nodded. Jack sat down next to it. It held out his hand and Jack cautiously held out his. The creature looked down and purred loudly before turning to dust in front of their eyes.

"Ok. What the hell was that?" Owen mused.

"I think it's dead." Gwen answered still in shock.

"Well I guessed that but why?"

"It came here to die." Jack said matter of factly, standing back up. "That's why he was moving like that."

"It didn't even look old." Gwen whimpered.

"Not many races age like humans Gwen. I just guessed by his scales."

"You can tell by scales?"

"Scales lose colour over time. They chip away at the edges too… Sorry for bringing you out for nothing."

"Well, it is what you pay us for." Said Owen dryly rubbing his temples.

"Hangover Owen?" Gwen smiled viciously.

"Well I didn't think I'd be coming into work today, now did I."

"Excuses."

Jack began to walk away. It was odd that he hadn't tried to break them up, or join in.

"No one liners today?" Gwen smiled.

"Are you both … all right after yesterday ?" He asked not turning back.

They looked at each other, a little surprised by the question.

"Yes." They both said.

"Are you?" Gwen continued.

He shrugged looking worried.  
"If there's something bothering you, you can tell us."

Jack sighs and smiles , "It's nothing."

Slipping his hands into his pockets he wanders off, nodding to a bewildered looking woman "Good morning."

Gwen huffed, wanting to know what was wrong following. Owen rolled his eyes at the both of them thinking it was all a bit over dramatic. There was something wrong, very wrong. Jack had been dreaming. Before Nine had appeared he hardly slept, and the sleep that he managed to get could hardly be called sleep. But lately he'd been sleeping and dreaming, something infinitely unnerving as it had been so long since he'd dreamed he was finding it hard to distinguish between his subconscious imagery and reality. He'd woken up for the last three nights in a cold sweat and was attempting to stay awake as long as he could. A month ago that would have been easy. A month ago he wouldn't have had a problem at all. He'd tried to take his mind off it but it wasn't working and didn't know if it was even worth telling anyone. As they entered the hub Ianto stood holding a bundle of plastic sheeting that he'd removed from nine's room now the paint had dried.

"Not a weevil then?" He asked putting down the neatly folded plastic.

"Nope. Just a funeral." Jack smiles walking past with his coat over his arm.

Ianto opens his mouth to ask what that meant but decided against it and went back to fetch the ladder. Gwen had already disappeared off home but Owen decided, as he had nothing planned, he may as well finish the paperwork he was behind on. Though he spent most of his time watching Ianto rush back and forth with pots of paint, boxes, tools and pieces of wood. Feeling a little surprised to see how strong Ianto was. You could never tell under the outfits he usually wore and the only things they usually saw him carrying were cups of coffee. They didn't know much about their resident 'tea boy' and had never actually taken the time to ask, they knew he had once had a half cybernised girlfriend called Lisa and that he used to work at Torchwood one, but everything else was hazy at best and his personnel file was made up of hardly anything. Owen had thought about this a lot recently as Ianto was becoming as standoffish as when he was hiding Lisa. Owen followed Ianto on one of his last tidying trips. Jack was sitting on the floor folding up instruction leaflets.

"You both sure this is a good idea?" Owen asked from the doorway."

"Yes. Why?" Jack replied, continuing what he was doing.

"Well, isn't it like asking for her to turn evil and destroy the hub."

"You're getting paranoid. And I'm not going to leave her alone here… And I meant to ask. Can you do a psych report on her please."

"Wait. That means you actually want to hire her. Adopting her is one thing but …"

"Adopting? I'm just looking out for a friend."

"Whatever you want to think but it doesn't change anything."

"I'm vetting her the same way as any employee."

"And how's that possible? We have no idea about her past."

"Who says?"

"What?"

"That glove that she brought back has all the data we need. Her records are all encoded into it's digital matrix. It's like a very detailed dog tag."

"I'm not doing anything until I get that information." Owen grumbles, stomping off. He didn't like Nine as a friend yet but understood that everyone else did. He didn't trust her. Not enough to work with her. She was half weevil for goodness sake, and that was reason alone to keep her at arms length.

"If he wants a bloody daughter he should adopt one, not grab the nearest abandoned alien." He growled under his breath.

As Monday morning dawned Tosh awoke to find Nine bundled up next to her bed fast asleep.

"Nine?… Niiiiine?" She said musically, trying to gently awaken the sleeping girl. She rolled over hugging the plush frog. Tosh got out of the other side of the bed and got dressed before her second attempt to awaken Nine. She knelt down and shook the girls shoulder gently . Nine slowly opened her eyes.

"Hi." She smiled groggily. "What time is it?"

"Nearly seven thirty."

"Oh ok." Nine murmured sitting up. "Where am I?"

"My room."

"I must be sleepwalking again. Jack says I sleepwalk."

Later Jack was waiting for them as they entered the hub. He was smiling "Have a good weekend?"

Nine nods. Tosh smiles "What do you want?"

"Could you get the information from that gloves memory please. And send a copy to Owen ASAP."

"That's better." She giggles wandering over to her desk.

"And Nine? I have a surprise for you."

"Yea?" Nine asked, following Jack.

He opened the door to the cosy purple room. Nine hugged Jack tightly before bouncing around the room.

"This is really mine?" She gasped in sheer disbelief.

"Well you can't sleep on the couch forever. See you later Nine." Jack waved.

Nine spent the day unpacking and generally getting over the surprise.


End file.
